Page 0: Page 1: Sunday, July 4, 2010 RHODY, PARDO ENGAGEMENT PAGE 2-C C SAVVY SENIOR Lifestyles New life Jim Miller Retirement relocation Dear Savvy Senior, What tips or resources can you recommend for researching communities in the U.S.? My wife and I will both be retiring in a few years and are interested in relocating to a smaller house in a sunnier climate but could use some help. What can you tell us? Ready to Roll Dear Ready, For many, retiring to a new location is an exciting adventure and a great way to start a new chapter in life. Here are some tips to help you find and research a new community that meets your budget, and satisfies your wants and needs. What to Consider While nine out of 10 U.S. retirees stay where they are when they retire, the other 10 percent choose to relocate. Whatever your dream retirement location may be, you need to do your homework and learn everything you can about the area you’re interested in. Here are some things to consider in helping you get started: The three Cs: Also known as crime, climate and cost of living. For most retirees these are high priorities in choosing a retirement location. To research these areas go to bestplaces.net, a fantastic Web resource that offers climate profiles, crime statistics, a cost of living calculator and more, and lets you compare cities side-by-side. You can also click on the “Cost of Living” tab, plug in your annual income, and find out how much you’ll need to maintain your current standard of living. Also see homefair.com. Taxes: Some states are more tax friendly than others. If you’re planning to move to another state when you retire, you’ll want to research your prospective state’s personal income taxes, sales taxes, taxes on retirement income, property taxes and inheritance and estate taxes, which you can do at retirementliving.com – click on “Taxes by State.” Healthcare: Does the community you’re considering have good medical facilities nearby? http://www.hospitalcompare.hh s.gov and http://QualityCheck.org are two good websites to help you research this. Also, to search for doctors in your new location that accept Medicare, visit medicare.gov and click on “Facilities & Doctors” or call 800633-4227. Vitals.com is another good resource for researching new doctors. It’s also important to keep in mind healthcare costs as they, too, can vary by market. Contact your insurer to research this. Transportation: If you plan to travel much, or expect frequent visits from your kids or grandkids, convenient access to an airport or train station is a nice advantage. Another consideration is public transportation. Since most retirees give up driving in their 80s, what services will be available? The area aging agency (call 800-6771116 to get the local number) can help you with this. Recreation and work: Depending on your hobbies and interests – golf, fishing, art, music, continuing education and more – your retirement destination should meet your needs. Or, if you’re interested in occupying your time with full time or part time work or by volunteering, what kinds of opportunities are available? Test the Water Once you find a location you’re interested in, it’s wise to make multiple visits at different times of the year so you can get a feel for the seasonal weather changes. It’s also prudent to rent for a year before buying a home or making a commitment to a retirement community. You may find that you like the area more as a vacation spot than as a year-round residence. More Tools For more help researching a location, contact the prospective city’s chamber of commerce. Also see epodunk.com, neighborhoodscout.com and relocateamerica. com – all excellent resources for learning more about thousands of locations across the country. vintage dress Sally Shelton, sister of the original owner, wore the dress for her wedding to Joe Powell Shelton in 1953. Marie Jackson Summers purchased the lovely hammered satin gown for her wedding in 1947. She was employed as a commercial artist with Gus Mayer, and bought the gown from Rich-Schwartz in Nashville. A few minor changes were made to the gown in 1978 when Libby Shelton chose to wear the gown in her wedding to Kent Bewick. She decided to remove the long sleeves, leaving the bertha collar draping her shoulders. Each bride chose their own veil style, making it unique. for Timeless gown adorns six brides By MARGARET HOBBS Style Editor for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.) This is a story about a dress, not just any dress, but a wedding gown that is timeless in both style and design. The candlelight hammered satin creation is 63 years old and originally belonged to Marie Jackson Summers, who wore it on her wedding day in 1947. It features appliquéd Italian lace on a bertha collar, has long sleeves ending in calla lily points, with petal drapes on the elongated cathedral train. Summers is the sister of local resident Sally Shelton, and she chose to wear her sister’s gown in her wedding to Joe Powell Shelton in 1953, starting a chain of events resulting in her granddaughter wearing the gown. Lindsey Bewick wed Jon Kidd on June 18, and was just as lovely as the first bride was in 1947. “We had the dress professionally cleaned and preserved after each wearing, and I feel that is one of the reasons it has held up so well,” said Shelton. On July 8, 1978 Libby Shelton, oldest daughter of Sally and Joe Shelton, was the third bride to don the gown, putting it in the spotlight at her wedding to Kent Bewick. She did make a few changes in the dress, removing the sleeves. She chose her own veil style, which changed the look of the dress. “We all had our own style, and each had a different veil. We made it our own look,” said Bewick. Lynn Shelton, sister to Libby, got the dress out of storage for her June 1985 wedding at First Baptist Church to Stan “Butch” Bullen. She chose a veil with a blusher, and decided to put the sleeves back in for her wedding ceremony, only to remove them for her reception. The lovely gown took a rest for 12 years until the original owner’s daughter Lisa Marie Kerr wanted to honor her mother and wear the gown on her big day. Her mother had passed away when she was 2-years-old, making the vintage gown more special to her. Kerr wed at Belmont Mansion in Nashville in 1997, and decided since she was shorter than the other brides, would take the petal drapes out of the gown and remove the sleeves. She had it hemmed in a way that made it possible to be let it out for future brides. This past June 18 Lindsey Bewick, daughter of Libby and Kent Bewick, didn’t have to think twice about her wedding gown when she planned nuptials with Jon Kidd. She wore a hoop under the full skirt and chose a veil with a blusher scattered with rhinestones to capture the light. She is named for the original owner, and married just one day shy of her greataunt’s wedding day. There’s something wonderful about wearing a dress with history, especially family history as it is in this case. The stories of the earlier wearers can add to the couple’s happiness, and ensure a sense of family. Lindsey and her family decided to tell the dress’ story at her wedding. Portraits of all the brides were prominently placed at the reception, nestled upon Bullen’s veil. Weddings are about families, and by wearing an heirloom gown, it includes all the families, and the new family being created, making the day even more special. Lynn Shelton chose a totally different veil for her wedding day in June, 1985. Lisa Marie Kerr made a lovely bride wearing her late mother’s gown in 1997. She wed at Belmont Mansion in Nashville, and also made a few adjustments to the heirloom dress. Here comes bride number six, Lindsey Bewick, making her way to her wedding day on June 18 in Nashville. She wore her great-aunt’s vintage dress, making her wedding even more special as she married Jon Kidd. Page 2: