Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

SEPTEMBER 2014 Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove/Page 5A SENIORS 236060012 239896003 By Jordyn Noennig Special to The Freeman BROOKFIELD — Retirement is a time to kick back, relax and enjoy yourself after years of hard work, long hours and work- place stress. Some seniors might find it difficult to fill their newly-found free time, but there are plenty of things to do around the city to keep active. Senior center The city's parks, recreation and forestry department's senior center located at 2000 N. Calhoun Road is a great place to start. Recreation Supervisor Lisa Glenn said the center is the best way to meet new peo- ple and enjoy the company of fellow retired folks. The variety of leisure and recreation activities available at the center includes weekly games of sheepshead, mah jongg and bridge. The center also offers pro- grams in drawing, watercolor and exer- cise. The center hosts day trips, as well. A group recently visited the Packers Her- itage Trail. Glenn encourages all seniors to stop by the center — which is free for all Brook- field residents — to see what it has to offer. "People that are recently retired should- n't let the name 'senior' scare them, and should give it a try," Glenn said. Activities in September include a perfor- mance by the troupe Broadway Wannabes, a showing of the movie "Saving Mr. Banks" and a bus tour to see "The Game's Afoot." For more information about the Brook- field Senior Center, visit www.ci.brook- field.wi.us or call 262-796-6675. The great outdoors If day-dreaming of golf every while stuck in the office was a regular occur- rence Brookfield Hills Golf Course, 16075 Pinehurst Drive, has senior discounts weekdays until 3 p.m. and weekends after 1 p.m. Also, Storms Golf, 16210 W Wisconsin Ave., offers senior rates until 5 p.m. during weekdays. Spend some time at Wirth Park, 2585 Pil- grim Road. Play tennis, ice skate, walk nature trails, enjoy picnic areas and ride on bike paths. The city also boasts William Mitchell Jr. Park, 19900 River Road, which has ski trails, canoe access, archery, nature trails and bike trails. Learn more about Brookfield and Elm Grove's history at the Elmbrook Historical Society, or at the historic Dousman Stage Coach Inn Museum, 1075 Pilgrim Pkwy. Enjoy a show at the Sharon Lynne Cen- ter of the Arts, 19805 W Capitol Drive, where seniors can purchase tickets to the performing arts series at a 50 percent dis- count two hours before a scheduled perfor- mance. Seniors can join visual art classes taught by Wilson Center artists as teach- ers. For more information, call 262-373-5023. Did you know there is a "lemon law" for wheelchairs? In Wisconsin, there is just such a law. Section 134.87 of Wiscon- sin statutes is known as the Wheelchair Lemon Law. It entitles the owner of a power chair or scooter that meets the statutory defini- tion of a "lemon" to a refund or a replacement. The law applies to new motorized wheelchairs and three- or four- wheel scoot- ers for use by people with disabilities purchased on or after Nov. 1, 1992. All motor- ized wheelchairs and scoot- ers purchased after that date must be covered by a one year express warranty, effective from the day the consumer receives the prod- uct. If the manufacturer does not offer the warranty, the chair or scooter is still considered by law to be cov- ered by a one-year warran- ty. For a motorized wheelchair or scooter to be a "lemon" it needs to have a "substantial" defect signifi- cantly impairing the use, value, or safety of the chair or scooter. The manufactur- er or its authorized dealer has to have unsuccessfully attempted repairs at least four times, or it has been out of service because of the defect for a total of 30 calendar days. The total days out of service need to total 30 but they don't need to be consecutive. The repair attempts or time out of service must occur in the first year under the warran- ty. The defects covered must significantly impair the use, value or safety of the chair or scooter. For exam- ple, a defective motor would be included, but a rattling noise would not. Defects that are the result of any abuse, neglect or unautho- rized modification of the equipment by the owner are not covered by the law. If you have purchased or leased a wheelchair or scooter that meets the defi- nition of a "lemon," the law entitles you to choose either a comparable new replace- ment or a refund. You need to have tried to resolve the problem in the first year, but can file a claim after a year. To receive a replace- ment or refund, you should notify the manufacturer that you wish to return the chair or scooter for a replacement or a refund. Your dealer can supply you with the manufacturer's address. Expenses you have in connection with the repair of a defect, including the costs of obtaining an alter native wheelchair or other assistive device for mobility are to be paid if you choose a comparable replacement. If you decide to get a refund, you are enti- tled to the full purchase price (including any other charges paid at the time of sale) and all costs associat- ed with the repair of the defect minus an amount based on when you were able to use the chair or scooter. To help your complaint it is best if you have an invoice for each attempt that shows the problems you reported and attempts to get repaired. You should obtain a repair invoice even if the shop cannot deter- mine or fix the problem every time you take it in. When your chair or scooter is in for repairs more than one day at a time, make sure the date it was brought in and the date it was returned are noted. Keep copies of all purchase contracts, war- ranties, warranty repair orders, letters and other materials on your chair or scooter. If the manufacturer refus- es your request, you can dis- cuss your legal options with an attor ney or advocacy group familiar with the law. The law does not designate any governmental agency to receive complaints. (Article courtesy of the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Wauke- sha County) By Jordyn Noennig Special to The Freeman BROOKFIELD — It is always important to be active and eat right, espe- cially as a senior citizen, but it is not always easy to know what foods are good to eat and what workouts will be effective. Luckily, there are many local resources to help live a healthy life as one ages. The Waukesha County Aging and Disability Resource Center hosts 10 meal sites in Waukesha County, including one in the Senior Community Center in Brookfield at 2000 N. Calhoun Road. Their goal is to give seniors 60 old and older nutrition education and socialization with a meal. "The socialization is actually a very important part," Mary Smith, a man- ager at the ADRC said. But the meals have become an important part of many residents diet also. "Seniors were asked what percent of your food intake is the meal we pro- vide, and three out of four said it was 50 percent of what they ate that day," Smith said. On top of the meals, dietitians from the Wauke- sha County Nutrition Coalition visit the meal sites and teach the seniors a variety of nutrition information. In 2013, the Nutrition Center helped educate 2,270 seniors in the area. Past lessons have been on how to best increase calci- um in a diet, how to eat healthy for cheap, and ways to be more active. They will also give refresh- er courses on dietary guidelines and how to use myplate.gov to plan health- ier meals. For extra nutrition infor- mation, call the Nutrition Education Program Coor- dinator at 262-548-7877. For homebound seniors, the ADRC will bring the nutritious meal of a fruit, a vegetable, three ounces of protein and a grain to their home. A meal this past month included a chicken breast in garlic sauce, stuffing, two-tone beans, bread with butter, mandarin oranges, butterscotch pudding or an alternate diet pudding. For more infor mation about the ADRC call 262- 548-7848 or go online to www.waukeshacounty.gov. To stay active as one ages, the Brookfield Senior Center is a good resource. It holds two exercise class- es a week led by Francis- can Wood therapists. Recreation Supervisor Lisa Glenn says the exer- cise class tends to be the most popular activity at the center. She said nearly 50 to 60 people come to each class and have reported feeling better and were able to stop some certain medications. Elite Sports Clubs, with locations at 13825 W. Burleigh Road and 600 N. Barker Road, holds a cou- ple of classes specifically for seniors. One is "Bar for Boomers" which takes their bar fusion class and gears it for seniors. The class helps strengthen the core and control the body. It also has a class to help seniors age gracefully by teaching exercise and body care. For more infor mation from Elite Sports Clubs, go online to www.eliteclubs.com. Chester From Page 1A When he told his mother about the young woman, she asked if he knew her and he responded, "not yet." One of Zawalich's friends asked Emily out first, but Zawalich went behind his back and asked her if she'd rather go out with him and she accepted. The couple rode together for 56 years. Sometimes Emily would take control of the steering, but always with her husband behind her shifting and helping. After Emily died in her 90s, Zawalich found life to be lonely because the other members of his two motor- cycle groups had died and it was hard to make friends with the members of the newer groups who are in their 60s and 70s. One day when he was sitting at a restaurant, a woman came over and asked him if she could sit with him. The two talked for hours and have become close. Zawalich even gave Luanne, 62, his now-girl- friend, her first ride on a motorcycle. He still enjoys taking his 1998 Harley-Davidson Demon Ultra Classic, which has a matching white side- car, for a spin around the area on warm, sunny days. The farthest he has ever traveled on a motorcycle is California. While Zawalich may have had much sadness in his life, including his only son dying in a tragic accident, he maintains a positive atti- tude and starts each day with a prayer. "Lord bless me to have a nice day today and let me make someone happy today," he said. Long life is in his genes — his mother lived to 101. In some ways, it's amazing he has lived to 100 without get- ting a traffic ticket or into any accidents, considering how he would do tricks on his motorcycles in his younger days. He also once rode a bike he had pur- chased for $350 into a river. The bike was still usable afterward, but needed repairs. Despite that, a young man who saw him riding the motorcycle offered him $250 for it, but he later pushed the bike too hard and the engine was ruined. Other memorable motor- cycles included a 1967 Harley that was from the final year the company made bikes with a kick starter. He sold that one for a $500 profit after having it for 10 years. His most recent bike he bought from a man who was too short to keep his balance when he stopped. The trick to keeping his motorcycles in good shape is to keep them clean, Zawalich said, which is also how he keeps his Buick and the home he built for $19,000. Submitted photo Seniors from the Brookfield Senior Center take a trip to Green Bay to go on the Packers Heritage Trail. Worked hard, now play hard Ways to enjoy retirement in Brookfield The wheelchair 'lemon law' Staying fit for life Local nutrition, exercise options for seniors

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