The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 56

Sunday July 26 1992 The Knoxville News-Sentinel E12 Fifty Plus Knox 1-40 bridge honored both living and dead few Harold 1 i' Julian i equipment from what is to be the site of a $30 million Knox County penal farm While professing my fascination with birds and animals I neglected to mention that I don't care much for cats N-S business editor Lois Reagan Thomas has the prettiest cat I have ever seen but my prejudice persists When I wrote about foxes coming to my back yard to feed I admitted that I had put out food for a stray cat She (I learned recently) is odd-looking Her dishwater-blond coat is mottled and always looks like it needs fluffing She has a long bushy tail and therein lies a mystery tale I feel sorry for any hungry creature (except snakes mice and groundhogs) The cat would eat biscuits cornbread almost anything except fruit and raw vegetables which I put into a tin plate She even meowed and came closer whenever I went outside to refill the plate What was that? A black kitten with white paws was following her but scurried under the deck when it saw me The next day I learned there were two kittens The second will I think have the coloration of the mother except it also had white paws Both kittens have no tails! Although I never had an interest in studying cats I know about the tailless Manx I have seen bobcats and know they have stubs for tails Some friends near Luttrell have a cat who bore a litter of kittens with stub tails A neighbor had told me about hearing and seeing a bobcat in the area Do wildcats breed with domestic cats? My backyard kittens seem to have stubs I may never know because they race like the wind whenever I open the back door Meanwhile I continue to feed them The kittens still nurse but also like solid food especially one of my favorites soaky cornbread soaked in milk I'm not saying that in my old age I have become a cat lover I'm just saying that those three homeless cats fascinate me Harold Julian la a News-Sentinel columnist and retired copy editor The 1-40 bridge over Gov John Sevier Highway was the first one in Tennessee named for a living person and may be the only one named for two people Bonnie Anderson Luttrell 84 explained the reason for the doubly dedicated bridge Her brother Gordon Le Roy "Bid" Anderson and Ralph Adcock were friends and represented different districts in the Tennessee General Assembly It was decided that a bridge would be named for Rep Anderson from the Burlington area but he insisted that it bear the name of Rep Adcock who had died and was from the Thorngrove area A dedication service was held and signs were erected On one side a sign says "Bid Anderson Memorial Bridge" On the other a sign says "Ralph Adcock Memorial Bridge" Anderson who had also been a policeman and firefighter lived to be 92 Adcock had also served as Knox County register of deeds Bonnie Luttrell says her brother got his nickname from their mother air conditioning works! My mother wife and I spent about six hours helping move my father's belongings and those of some other patients It was hot but at least it didn't rain There were many volunteers including some Hillcrest employees who worked on their day off the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad RuralMetro Ambulance Service (which had four ambulances shuttling patients) church groups and other agencies and organizations More churches would have sent buses but the moving date had been changed so many times that some thought it would be another false alarm It's ironic that bureaucratic squabbling over fire codes long delayed the transfer of patients from buildings which fell far short of modern safety regulations County Fire Marshal Wayne Waggoner agreed confirming that he saw no need for sprinklers inside small closets The move at this writing isn't complete Companies such as Ramsey's Cafeteria are furnishing trucks to move Cynthia "As a child he was sort of a mama's boy hanging onto her skirt" Luttrell said "Mama said he acted 'like a little biddie with a mother hen' The nickname stuck and schoolmates shortened it to "Bid" Doors having been removed from clothes closets almost 300 nursing home patients were finally transferred July 18 from Hillcrest North to Hillcrest Central It was a major logistical problem but all patients from the Maloneyville Road facility were in their new quarters on Tazewell Pike by early afternoon The new building is sparkling clean and attractive even with clothing visible in the doorless closets And the ir 1 a st ii tl tJ ti i 3 I Advance planning cuts funeral costs shopping for services is advised Money Mary Beth Franklin jtjk Mil Actor sheds tough image for poetry and painting By Gwen Gibson Maturity News Service This may come as a disappointment to fans who have cheered actor Jack Palance in his many sinister movie roles as a gangster desperado gun-slinger and general varmint In real life Palance isn't a bad guy at all Onstage he's most likely to bolt through a swinging saloon door gun belt slung low on his hips Offstage he's a poet and painter who takes a philosophical approach to life and aging These facts emerged during Pa-lance's appearance at a recent Senate hearing on aging artfully chaired by Sen David Pryor D-Ark The veteran actor who had seven oils on display said that "painting is a fantastic way to awaken or reawaken your creative sensitivities" And the tall trim 72-year-old testified that aging is "a perfectly natural sequence of life and living a fulfilling completion of what was designed for us in the beginning a beautiful closing of a circle that outlines our birth and destiny and wondrously surrounds the twinkling little galaxy that belongs to us" Such picturesque speech seemed out of character at first blush for the rough -hewn actor who has starred in such movies as "Sudden Fear" "Shane" "The Big Knife" "Ten Seconds to Hell" "The Torture Garden" "A Bullet for Rommel" and "They Came to Rob Las Vegas" But Palance said he has been painting and writing prose and poetry since the 1950s Chatting "backstage" in a committee staff room after the hearing Palance said his literary efforts include three books of poetry: "The Forest of Love" "Ballad of The Wind" and "Big John and Company" (about coal miners) He has also written a novel "Elizabeth and the Tall Thin Man" and a collection of short stories not yet titled he is still at work on his memoirs Palance said he recently started negotiating with publishers "because it dawned on me it was time to do something with all this material" Born in Lattimer Pa in 1919 Palance the son of a coal miner worked briefly in the coal mines himself before turning to professional boxing Then at In planning their estates older Americans should keep in mind the steadily rising costs of funerals Currently the average cost of a traditional funeral including cemetery costs is about $5000 Without question planning funerals in advance makes sense from both an emotional and financial viewpoint Shopping around for a funeral home and services can save your estate thousands of dollars because prices for goods and services can vary greatly Studies also show that funerals tend to cost less when plans are made in advance rather than during a period of bereavement However paying for funeral arrangements in advance an increasingly popular trend for many Americans requires careful consideration Here are some important facts to keep in mind How do I compare prices for funeral services? Consumers should compare products and prices from at least two funeral homes before making a decision A federal regulation called the Funeral Rule requires funeral homes but not cemeteries to disclose prices by telephone If you inquire in person the funeral home should give you a written price list of its products and services In arranging a funeral you can purchase individual items or buy an entire package that includes flowers memorial cards obituary announcements rental of the funeral home for a viewing and honoraria for the clergy You don't have to buy anything you don't want unless it is required by state law In comparing prices look at the total costs of the goods and services you want One funeral home may offer better prices on caskets but make up the difference elsewhere Is there any way to cut down on the high cost of funerals? Some people consider alternatives to the traditional funeral such as cremation or immediate burial followed by a memorial service This makes embalming and elaborate caskets unnecessary a major savings since a casket alone can account for one-third or more of the cost of a traditional funeral One source of information on low-cost funerals is your local memorial society a non-profit organization dedicated to the concept of dignified but inexpensive burials What about paying for services in advance? A growing number of people are paying for their funerals in advance often to relieve their families of any financial burden and to lock in the cost of a future funeral at today's prices There are two ways to handle this One is to buy an insurance policy naming the funeral director as the beneficiary It can be paid in installments or all at once Another approach is a trust It also can be funded in a lump sum or installments and invested by the funeral director in a certificate of deposit or other savings account Interest is subject to income tax payable by the individual who sets up the trust While paying for a funeral in advance may buy some peace of mind there are several important questions to ask before signing a "pre-need" contract What happens if the funeral home goes out of business? Does the pre-payment cover any future cost increases? If the funeral costs less than anticipated who gets what's left the funeral director or the survivors? Can the contract be transferred to a funeral director in another state if the person relocates and wants to be buried elsewhere? Can the contract be canceled? Are there cancellation fees or other penalties? Many financial experts contend you can do just as well or better setting up your own bank trust earmarked for funeral expenses That way you keep full control of the money and the funds are immediately available upon your death To be sure the money is available for funeral expenses and not frozen in the probate process after your death funds should be placed in a trust or a "pay-upon-death" savings account naming the funeral director as the beneficiary Where can I get more information? Write for the following free booklets: "Funerals: A Consumer's Guide" Federal Trade Commission Public Reference Office 6th and Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington DC 20580 "Product Report: Pre-paying Your Funeral?" (D13188) AARP Fulfillment 601 St NW Washington DC 20049 "Easing The Burden: Pre-arranging Your Funeral" National Funeral Directors Association 11121 Oklahoma Ave Milwaukee Wis 53227 Mary Beth Franklin writes a personal finance column for Maturity News Service Mark Waldman a certified financial planner assisted in the preparation of this column Please send questions or comments to The Knoxville News-Sentinel co Maturity News 529 14th St NW Suite 968 National Press Building Washington DC 20045 Maturity News Service Academy Award-winning actor Jack Palance Stanford University he majored in journalism His acting career was interrupted by World War II Palance served in the Army Air Corps He survived a bomber crash but suffered severe burns Plastic surgery gave his rugged features the drawn dramatic look familiar to his fans Palance made his Broadway debut in 1947 in "The Big Two" and later understudied Anthony Quinn in "A Streetcar Named Desire" He won Oscar nominations for two of his earliest Hollywood films: "Sudden Fear" (1952) and "Shane" (1953) But it was 1992 before the dusty-voiced actor veteran of scores of classic and not-so-classic westerns won the Academy Award for his work as the scary cowboy "Curly" in the sentimental comedy "City Slickers" Palance's antics at the Academy Award ceremonies his upbeat but mostly unprintable speech and his one-arm push-ups were more in keeping with the loose cannon image he has acquired over the years This side of the actor was not lost at the Senate hearing on artful aging Before reading his statement Palance dropped to the floor to perform nine swift left-handed pushups for the astounded senators "I hope this doesn't get me in trouble again" he said noting that a talk-show host (Geraldo) had suggested the maverick actor was "high on cocaine or something" at the Academy Awards "I want to rest that poor man's frustration" said Palance "I've never taken anything like that in my life A cup of coffee is all I need to get going" Senior Adults Come To i Brides should report name change for tirnirarv in parninoc rpmrHc 'taking All brides should notify Social n'es that charge a fee for nies that charge a fee for Security if they are changing their care of the paperwork' for them Social Security Williamsburg Villas To Ll VE Such companies do not provide better service than we do And they can actually delay the process "Social Security cannot offer any guarantee to the public that these firms will even forward the information they receive to us after the fee is paid" he said You can file your Social Security claim by telephone To schedule a telephone appointment to file for retirement disability survivor benefits or supplemental security income call 1 (800) 772-1213 You may also make an appointment to file your claim when you visit the office Either way will save you time provide proof of their name change such as a marriage or divorce certificate The entire process can be handled by mail "Or they can simply call our local office or come by with the needed documentation and we'll handle it in that one visit" said Rovere The local phone number is 545-4354 This service is free "Brides should be especially alert to solicitations from compa Williamsburg Villas 3211 WJohn Sevier Hwy Knoxville TN 37920 Call Dr Peggy Savage 573-01 00 name according to Jim Rovere manager for the Knoxville district Failure to report a name change to Social Security is one of the most frequent causes of errors in earnings records Generally earnings are not posted to a worker's Social Security record when the number and name do not "match" And it's the earnings posted to those records that determine if a person can get Social Security and how much he or she will receive in monthly benefits Rovere said Notifying Social Security of a name change is equally important for women who divorce and resume their maiden name To change the surname on a Social Security record and to receive a Social Security card showing the new name women should call the Social Security toll-free number at 1 (800) 772-1213 any business day between 7 am and 7 pm They will need to The Villa offer a quality of life that's unique A desirable alternative to traditional nursing home settings Please send me more information on living at Williamsburg Villas I understand there is no obligation Name Address ST City Zip Telephone CD's MATURING? 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