Opinions

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor From across the street, my neighbor Troy offered up a solution Sunday afternoon: “I've got matches.” His comment came just as I was finishing raking up the leaves under the huge maple tree in my front yard. I laughed, and said we'd better make it look like an accident.

Random Thoughts Last week, I wrote about sharing my birthday weekend with my niece and two nephews. The family events had a second chapter this past weekend, as we reconvened for the 80th birthday of my mother, Alice.

For many of the past nine years, my birthday has been shared with my brother's triplets. On Monday, London, Miles and Griffin turned 9.

I hope you'll have time this week to read and enjoy the feature story I'm sharing from the Walnut Valley Festival back in September. My production staff felt like this was a good week for us to share the feature story, which came together and fits like a well-worn glove on a hand.

Dear Savvy Senior, What types of programs are available to help seniors struggling with their everyday bills, and how do I go about finding them? Since I lost my husband last year, my Social Security survivor benefit is barely enough to get by on. Searching Senior Dear Searching, I’m very sorry for your loss, but you’ll be happy to know that there are dozens of different financial assistance programs and government benefits that may be able to help you with your everyday costs.

If you ask me to rank the four seasons of Kansas, I would list them from fall to summer, in that order. I am fully aware that a lot of people struggle with fall, as the weather turns dreary and nature starts dying off.

Roughly seven in 10 Kansans are ready to see the Legislature pass bills expanding Medicaid and legalizing marijuana. That's according to the “Kansas Speaks” statewide survey conducted by Fort Hays State University.

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m currently enrolled in original Medicare but have been thinking about switching to a Medicare Advantage plan during the open enrollment period. Many of the Medicare Advantage ads I’ve seen offer lots of extra benefits beyond what traditional Medicare offers and no monthly premiums. What are your thoughts?

Whew! I survived the wedding weekend. If you did not see my column last weekend, let me update you quickly.

A neighbor got ahold of me recently and wanted to know if I wanted a couple of eggplants. Of course, I said I would love to share the fall bounty.