Is anyone confused about their insurance? Well mostly everyone that walks in our office tells us they are very confused, they don’t understand why they are paying more for their premiums, they have a higher deductible, and the insurance companies seem to be paying for fewer services. Well let me tell you it can be very confusing if you don’t educate yourself. Most people do not realize they have a deductible, and unfortunately the deductibles are much higher than over the past 10 years. I have seen deductibles as high as $15,000, and people’s premiums are at an all-time high. Due to these high deductibles, it has forced many physicians to opt out of insurance and begin to offer cash membership plans. These memberships and cash pay plans allow the doctor to spend more time with the patient, giving higher quality care and sometimes even more affordability for the patient long-term.
In our office we verify insurance, and the doctors determine the care plan based on correcting the spinal problem. Sometimes the correction of a spinal misalignment can take up to 30 visits and sometimes the correction may take as little as 5 visits. Over the years, insurance companies would typically allot 24-30 visits per calendar year. This past year most insurance companies have decided to only allow 5 visits until they determine whether or not you need more. Granted there have always been doctors who abuse the system, but for someone on the phone to determine if a patient needs care – I think it’s crazy. I have also seen patients needing more and more referrals from their primary doctor, which does not allow for patients to make their own choices.
At the Wellness Experience of Wellington, we offer many different affordable options for patients, allowing each member to get the quality care they deserve, without all the headaches.
If you have questions, or would be interested in one of our dinner talks about Chiropractic care, please email me at laurichdc@aol.com.
An Interview with Dick Stockton, World-Class Tennis Pro, founder of Blue Sky Foundation
By Krista Martinelli
Dick Stockton, world class tennis player and founder of the Blue Sky Foundation, hanging out at Brooklyn Water Bagels in Wellington.
As someone who played college tennis and continues to play USTA tennis, I remember Dick Stockton’s tennis career from my childhood years. I remember his playing some of the other tennis greats of the 70’s, including Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg. In fact, I had a poster of Bjorn Borg in my room. So I was excited to find that such an accomplished tennis pro as Dick Stockton lives in Wellington. Meanwhile, his wife, Liz, teaches tennis over at the Wellington Community Center.
I asked him about his greatest moments as a tennis player. Being a team player at all times, Stockton points out that his two greatest highlights were not really for individual tennis, but as team triumphs. In 1972, his TrinityUniversity tennis team at San Antonio, Texas won the NCAA Division I Men’s Team Championship – they were simply the best at that time. Also, being able to play for the Davis Cup is a huge highlight for Stockton. He played in the Davis Cup for five years and traveled all over the world.
Another career highlight was winning the 1977 U.S. Pro Indoor Championship, beating Jimmy Connors in a five-set nationally televised final. “Jimmy was #1 in the world at the time,” recalls Stockton. Also, at that time, the U.S. Pro Indoor was one of the top five or six most prestigious tournaments on the men’s tour.
Blue Sky Foundation
These days Stockton is still very involved in tennis, but is heading up his own non-profit organization, bringing tennis to our military troops. In 2008, he and Liz formed the Blue Sky Foundation. He had a different idea for it originally, something more along the lines of the Chris Evert Pro/Celebrity charity tennis tournament, but it never materialized. In 2012, Stockton was thinking of a way that he could thank our troops and came up with the idea of offering free tennis clinics at military bases. Check out this personal message from Dick Stockton about how the Blue Sky Foundation was created (from their website) – http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/videos/news/personal-journey-dick-stockton/vCJzCX/
In 2013, Stockton decided to do just two events during the year, as a test to see if this was a good idea. In July of 2013, they visited FortBragg, and 125 people signed up for the tennis clinics. They taught in categories of 4 to 10 years of age, 11 to 17 and 18 & over. Due to rain, they had to move the whole clinic inside a gym. They were prepared though and had everything necessary to go on with the tennis clinic. They brought a team of fifteen instructors. Overall it was a huge success! “The military troops and their kids were so appreciative of it,” says Stockton.
Later in October of 2013, they did another tennis clinic at Andrew Air Force Base in Maryland. Again about 125 showed up. This time Stockton had some other big tennis names along with him – Stan Smith and Gigi Fernandez. It was another successful day of tennis, and everyone seemed very appreciative. So after these couple of trial runs, Stockton decided to keep moving forward.
In 2014, they put on five events, which were “unbelievable experiences” according to Stockton. They had ages from 3 to 87 showing up for the tennis clinics. This year, they have eight events planned. They recently added a wounded warrior component to the program. “By far this is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” says Stockton. “These people are so special and so appreciative. We’re there to thank them, but they’ve gone and done a 180 on us, being so thankful too.”
They’ve developed a “T3” logo, which stands for “Thanking our Troops through Tennis.” The biggest sponsor of the program so far is the USO. Also, Head has provided a lot of tennis rackets and Penn has contributed a lot of tennis balls. We are continuing to seek corporate sponsors, says Stockton. In the future, he plans to go overseas with the program as well.
Wimbledon
“Out of all of the Grand Slam tournaments,” says Stockton, “I have to say that playing Wimbledon was my favorite.” It’s the ultimate competition, he explains – like the Master’s in golf, like the Kentucky Derby in horse racing. “Historically, Wimbledon is it! I get goosebumps when I walk through that gate – I still do.”
Davis Cup
In 1959, Stockton saw his first Davis Cup final and was thrilled by the intensity of it. He was excited to represent the US and be a part of the Davis Cup team for a span of five years. “Back then, we had a small group of us traveling to another country. It was just five or six players, a captain and a trainer,” says Stockton. “And unlike any other tennis competition,” he says, “for that one week, we realized we’re all in this together!” It’s truly a bonding experience and a team event.
Becoming a Tennis Pro
Some kids dream of becoming a tennis pro. For Stockton though, the transition just happened quite naturally – he was at the right place at the right time. He was on the strongest university tennis team in the country, TrinityUniversity at San Antonio, Texas. “Five of our top six players turned pro,” says Stockton. “Becoming a pro, for me, just kind of happened. Even in college, I played in a lot of professional tournaments. I couldn’t accept money, if I won, because I was still in college.” In 1972, he played in Wimbledon and made it to third round. “It was my first time around, and I made $300,” he recalls. “Today it would be approximately $75,000 for making it to the same level.” Because he played on such a strong college tennis team, Stockton experienced the best of the best, even when just in the practices from two to three hours every day.
Today’s Tennis Pros
I asked Stockton who his favorite male tennis player is today. He loves Djokovic. “He seems very genuine, he’s a great player and he always gives credit where credit is due,” says Stockton. “Also when his opponent makes a great shot, he applauds him. No one else does that today.”
As for women’s tennis, Stockton says Serena Williams is clearly the best. “She’s not really being tested right now. She’s so much stronger than the other women – she’s head and shoulders above anyone else out there.”
Tennis Memories
“There are always characters in the game of tennis,” he says. “And there are always classic rivalries.” One of Stockton’s favorite, funniest tennis moments was in a match against Romanian player Ilie Năstase. “It was raining on and off all day. I turned around to serve, and there he was – waiting, holding an umbrella over his head.”
Another key player in Stockton’s tennis era was Swedish great Björn Borg. “I played him when he was just sixteen in the French Open,” says Stockton. “And he beat me.” The tricky thing about Borg’s game, according to Stockton, was that he never showed any emotion on his face. “He was very friendly…a joy to be around.” He was also the first player who ever traveled with a coach. Although he was a force to be reckoned with, he quit the game of tennis at just 26 years old. “I think he got frustrated when he lost his #1 ranking and it’s a shame that he never returned.”
Growing Up in the Bronx
Like a lot of folks Around Wellington, Dick Stockton grew up in the Bronx. He left New York at 17 and then lived in Texas for 30 years. But he has fond memories of playing stickball in the Bronx and on Long Island. On some of his tennis tours, they even modified the wooden tennis rackets and used the handle like a stickball bat, in order to play stickball in their spare time. Stockton was happy to hear that there is a local group making stickball come back to life here in our area, the Wycliffe Stiffs. As I interviewed him at Brooklyn Water Bagles (in Wellington), he gravitated toward the chocolate egg cream machine. “I thought the term egg cream had disappeared,” says Stockton, who used to love a good chocolate egg cream in his NY days. Check out this video of Stockton up at bat with the Wycliffe Stiffs, his first time back at bat since his youth. Not bad! See the video of Stockton up at bat with the Wycliffe Stiffs.
Living in Wellington
Dick and Liz Stockton have lived in Wellington for 14 years now, after moving here in 2001. “We love the location!” he says. He likes being close to the beach, but not at the beach. He likes that there are lots of seniors, yet it’s not a retirement community. And he’s pleased with the equestrian activities in town too.
“This year our Blue Sky Foundation was picked at the Great Charity Challenge,” he says. This is a wonderful annual event during equestrian season, headed up by Mark Bellissimo, where a group of organizations are randomly picked from 250 local charities. The charity organization, after being entered into the Challenge, is assigned three equestrian riders, who compete for the charity at hand. Stockton was very grateful for the contribution Blue Sky received this year.
For more information about the Blue Sky Foundation, visit their website.
I am now well into the first month of my 82nd year. And relishing the use of my age as license to do most anything:
I dole out huge doses of unwanted advice. I quote obscure authors for no reason at all. I reminisce frequently, shamelessly injecting hyperbole into all of my tales … which grow taller each time I repeat myself. Which I do endlessly. So if some of you remember one or two of these incidents from previous columns, live with it. I’ve also become impervious to criticism. To wit, some funny moments:
1 – As spectator.
Someone once asked me who my three favorite stand-up comics were. Easy. Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and Reverend Bevels.
Few have heard of the latter. He was one of Martin Luther King’s closest aides. We went to hear him give a lecture a few weeks after the five-day march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965. He spoke for an hour on avoiding “side issues.” Never cracked a smile. We never stopped laughing.
“The whole idea of the march,” he said, “was to insist that everyone had the right to vote. Anything else was a side issue. You break your leg on the march? A side issue. You limp into Montgomery, make sure everyone has the right to vote. Now do you all remember ‘the highway incident?’”
Of course we all remembered. It had made every newspaper in the country, and every late-night comedian’s stand-up routine.
“The highway incident,” Reverend Bevels said. “A side issue. We get into Montgomery the night before, on March 24th, and camp out about ten miles outside of town. Six o’clock the next morning, I get awakened by my staff to face a whole army of reporters.
“’Reverend Bevels,’ one of them said, ‘there are reports coming into Montgomery that there are people out here, fornicating on the highways. What do you have to say to that?’”
Reverend Bevels said, “People fornicating on the highways have the right to vote!”
The next morning, that anecdote was splashed over every newspaper in the Chicago area. Just imagine if the Internet had existed.
2 – As perpetrator.
My poor mother. She had a wonderful sense of humor, Admittedly, I often took advantage of it. And, just as often, she threatened to kill me.
She lived in Minneapolis, and flew to Chicago every year at Thanksgiving. I would drive her to and from the airport.
One year, I settled her into her airline seat on her return flight home, then went to talk to the stewardess. Winking at her, I said, “Don’t let my mom see the captain when he comes aboard. My mom sees a man in uniform, she goes bananas. She’ll be all over him. Could be very embarrassing.”
Just then, a Marine lieutenant came aboard. In full uniform. He sat down in the aisle seat across from my mom. The stewardess winked at me and went over to my mom and said, “Now please try to contain yourself.”
“What do you mean? Contain what? Wait! What’d he tell you?” Mom was shouting. “What’d he say? I’m ‘onna kill ‘im! I swear, I’m ‘onna kill ‘im!”
She eventually recovered from that. But the following year, we had a big party for mom, celebrating her 80th birthday. About 20 minutes into the party, mom came bursting through a crowd like a running back pushing aside tacklers, and shouting, “Where is ‘e? Where is ‘e? I’m ‘onna kill ‘im!”
I had told everyone my mom was hard of hearing and to speak up when talking to her. With people shouting at her since they’d arrived, she asked why. They all ratted me out.
As victim, 1.
For my 60th birthday, my wife threw me a surprise party. We walked into a popular restaurant in suburban Chicago; I looked around, and suddenly realized I knew everyone who was there, just before everyone shouted, “Surprise!”
Then I was told that this was not merely a surprise dinner party, but a roast.
And for almost two hours, they tore me to shreds.
Especially Jerry. My good friend, Jerry.
Jerry had been needling me about my height since I’d been a senior in high school, when he said, “So who you taking to the prom, a munchkin?”
Jerry opened his roast by looking at me and saying, “Why aren’t you in your tree, making cookies?” After ten minutes, he said, “I’d like to read to all of you from a recent newspaper article.” There was a respectful silence for a moment. Then Jerry read the headline … “Dwarf-tossing ruled illegal.”
The article was mercifully short. Play on words intended.
As victim, 2.
We had decided on a “work session” with our client. Work sessions happen when an advertising agency’s creative department comes up with many good ideas, the agency “suits” disagree, and everyone misses a deadline. That’s when we call the client to have him come and “work with us.”
I had assembled all of my writers and art directors along with a half-dozen “suits;” four clients had joined us. Roughed-out storyboards had been strewn across our huge conference room floor; scrawled-out theme lines tacked up on the corkboard; shirtsleeves were rolled up, ties yanked down and battle lines drawn.
That’s when Rudy suddenly appeared in our doorway. Rudy had been a former Creative Director. Hadn’t seen him in twelve years. I was nonplussed.
Heads turned. Conversations stopped. A palpable silence descended on the room as Rudy walked in and stared at the rough sketches on the floor as he stepped around them; then ambled slowly past the theme lines, nodding. He walked back to the door, turned around and said, “I don’t think we’re ready yet, Wendell.” And left.
That night, Rudy called and apologized. Said he was downtown and decided to pay a visit. He’s still laughing.
Cantankerously Yours,
Wendell Abern
Wendell Abern can be reached at dendyabern@gmail.com.
(A Healthier Version for those who like Reese’s PB Cups)
By Susan Gelfand
– Enjoy Life Dark Choc. Chips (just chocolate and cane sugar)
– Almond Butter or Nut Butter
Melt half of the choc in pan or microwave (30 sec at a time and stir).
Pour a few tbsp of almond milk as you melt the chocolate and stir well.
Place a dollop of chocolate into mini muffin paper cups, in mini muffin tin. You can use reg size ones if you would like. Make sure to coat bottom and freeze for about 20 min. Once solid, add a spoonful of nut butter. Melt the remainder of the chocolate the same way as above. Add a spoonful on top of each cup and freeze for a few hours.
You can easily teach your dogs to eliminate in an acceptable location by keeping a close eye, recognizing their signals, understanding their instincts, and rewarding their appropriate behavior.
1. Prevent undesirable elimination by supervising your dog when not confined and keeping them in a crate when unable to observe closely. Crate training is the best way to keep your puppy safe and allow them to develop so they can control their elimination. Puppies should be in their crate when you leave the house, when you’re asleep and when can’t be observed constantly.
2. When puppies are young (8-10 weeks) they should be taken out regularly. Until they understand your schedule and learn the routine you should take them out every time they wake up, eat or drink. As the puppy gains control you can start to wait and when your dog sniffs the ground or circles around, take them out. EVERY time you take a puppy out to eliminate it is important to do it the same way. Have a specific routine that everyone in the family does. Put the leash on, go out the same door, and use the same verbal cues. This routine and as the dog ages and can control his elimination is the key to success.
3. Feed your dog on a schedule. Don’t leave food out or the puppy won’t develop a set pattern. Feed three times daily until approximately four months, then twice daily. If they don’t finish their food in 10-15 minutes, pick it up until next feeding time.
4. Use a specific verbal cue that you want your dog to associate with desirable elimination, such as “Find your spot”, “Go potty” or “Do your business.” or any cue your family decides as long as everyone uses it and is consistent.
5. When your dog begins to eliminate, use quiet praise. You don’t want to distract them from finishing but want them to realize they’re being good. When your dog is done, praise him enthusiastically (don’t worry what the neighbor’s think), pet them, and reward them with food immediately. Don’t wait until you’re back inside, the praise and treat must be immediate.
6. If they do not eliminate, take them inside and supervise closely or return to their confinement area and take them back out in approximately 15 minutes.
7. Reward each time with praise, especially when they tell you they need to go “find their spot”. Most dogs will pick a part of that specific schedule to alert you they want to go out and be a good dog. Good dogs get praised, pet and usually a treat.
8. Remember, it is your responsibility to prevent accidents. If the puppy eliminates in the house, don’t scold the dog, clean up and deodorize the soiled area. Preventing accidents requires that you become aware of how often your puppy needs to eliminate.
Following these steps doesn’t mean every puppy will have no accidents but by using these guidelines will help train your puppy quickly and happily.
Dr. Mark Planco’s compassion for animals has been a lifelong labor of love. He earned both his undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at the University of Florida. Dr. Planco has treated small and large animals since 1991, and has been in Palm Beach County since 1994. Dr. Planco is a member of the Palm Beach Veterinary Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. Visit PlancoVetCare.com for further information or call 561-795-9507.
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Disclaimer: This column is not intended to provide information on which you should use to diagnose or treat a medical condition or delay seeking medical attention. This column is of no value with respect to any medical condition that needs prompt attention. If you have a question that needs an immediate answer, you should call your own veterinarian or emergency animal hospital, especially if you are confronting a medical emergency!
Furthermore, we urge you to always seek the advice of your own veterinarian, and you should not disregard, discount, or delay seeking the advice of your veterinarian because of any response posted in this column.
Birth and death, twin-sister and twin-brother,
Night and day, on all things that draw breath,
Reign, while time keeps friends with one another
Birth and death.
Each brow-bound with flowers diverse of wreath,
Heaven they hail as father, earth as mother,
Faithful found above them and beneath.
Smiles may lighten tears, and tears may smother
Smiles, for all that joy or sorrow saith:
Joy nor sorrow knows not from each other
Birth and death.
This is the happiest time of year. As a senior in high school, I can say these last few months have been the most difficult. Not because of course work or anything like that, but solely because of how close I am to graduating from high school. School days consist of people counting down the days and people trying to support their head weight up in fear of collapsing and passing out in class from pure exhaustion. This year has been one for the books, and I can say that my senior year in high school was probably the best year of my life. I did many activities I never thought I’d participate in and met amazing people along the way of my journey. As school comes to an end and graduation draws closer and closer, I find myself getting more stressed with having to figure out plans for graduation and the whole fiesta.
With graduation, there’s not much stress besides making sure your family members all have a ticket to see you successfully walk (and hopefully not fall) down the stage in front of 3,000 people. Also attire is a big one and it’s important to make sure you look your best before you see all of your classmates for the last time (until your high school reunions in 2023!). My opinion on graduation is to keep it simple and keep it comfortable! You’re going to be at your venue for a while and if stilettos aren’t your go-to shoe, I wouldn’t choose this day to learn how to use them! (If you like stilettos, then that’s absolutely up to you)! A simple outfit and shoe can go a long way and probably will be a lot less painful. As usual I purchased my graduation outfit much earlier than I needed to, but it’s always great to be extremely detail-oriented and ahead of time with just about everything.
Yearbooks, end of the year activities galore! Don’t miss out on these activities – I promise you will not regret them! Spending these last couple of weeks with your senior class will always be remembered, as corny as that sounds. Participate in more activities, go to the last games at your high school, get your yearbook signed by a teacher you had and tell her how awesome she was! You’ll never get the time back that you had in high school and you don’t want to regret wasting your last couple of weeks. My school has multiple senior activities to bring our class closer before we all part separate ways across the world! If your school doesn’t have activities planned, suggest some or just gather some people up and make your own senior activities! It can be bowling, mini-golfing, go-cart racing, or going to a theme park. Honestly just pick whatever it is that can be a great time to be spent with your friends.
Leaving high school is definitely bittersweet. Cherish the special moments that you spent in high school with your friends and possibly even your teachers! So Congratulations Class of 2015! You did it! Through the nights of no sleep to pass the test the next day to the heartaches of high school in general, you did it!
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Gabrielle Harris is a senior at Wellington High School. She is involved in the Quidditch team, Key Club, and is the social media and news editor for the WHS Wave school newspaper. She hopes to study mass communications in college and aspires to someday tell her travel stories to the world.
Strategies for Healthy Eating and Cooking on a Budget
By Sherri Mraz
Buy in bulk whenever possible. A large bag of brown rice or dried beans will make many more meals and be more economical than buying canned beans or a small bag of rice.
Cook once, Eat two or three times. For example, when I cook homemade oatmeal I will make enough for 3 breakfasts for each member of my family. I’ll add dried fruit like raisins or cranberries and spices like cinnamon or cardamom. When the oatmeal is cooked, I add ground flaxseed (for the omega-3 fatty acids and to keep bowels regular) and chopped almonds or walnuts (for protein). Then, on a busy work or school morning, I scoop out a portion, add some water, milk or milk substitute and heat it in a saucepan. Breakfast on the go!
Eat from all colors of the rainbow. At every meal, look at your plate. Are the foods on your plate colorful? Remember, every pigment in a fruit or vegetable represents a different benefit to your health. Greens improve circulation, purify the blood and strengthen the immune system. White foods such as garlic, onions and fennel are anti-viral and anti-bacterial.
Eat more real food, fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. If you currently eat a lot of processed food, (food out of boxes, fast food, etc.), go on a processed food holiday. For one week, give up your usual fare and eat only real food. See what this does to your energy level!
Cook more, Eat less restaurant food. It goes without saying that if you are on a budget, eating out is going to drain your food dollars faster than eating fresh, simple meals prepared at home. But if you are not used to cooking, don’t panic. If you currently do not cook any meals at home, then set a goal for yourself to prepare 2 meals at home a week. When you can do that with ease, then move to 3 meals a week. And remember…….
Practice cooking. As with any skill you are trying to master, the more you practice the better you will get at it. If you burn the rice, so what? Next time it will be better.
Sherri Mraz also known as the Cookin’ Yogi and author of, The Cookin’ Yogi’s, More Energy, Less Waist runs corporate wellness programs and works with clients privately to improve their health. Sherri helps clients to avoid Fad Diets and information overload by creating personalized step by step meal and lifestyle plans. Her approach infuses mind, body and spirit. Sherri teaches healthy cooking classes, yoga and is a public speaker. Sherri has trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and is certified through Teachers College Columbia University and by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) and partners with Hippocrates Health Institute. Please contact her at Sherri@CookinYogi.com or visit her website at www.CookinYogi.com
Student Artists Invited to Enter Artwork for New Display in Wellington
There is a new opportunity for young Wellington artists to see their creations on public display. The Village is teaming up with the Wellington Art Society for the “Student Art Program,” which puts youth artwork on display at the Village Park Gymnasium.
Elementary school students who either live in Wellington or attend a Wellington school are invited to deliver their original works of art to Village Park (11700 Pierson Road) on Wednesday, May 13th, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The exhibit will open the following Monday, May 18th. The artwork will be on display during a four-month rotation, ending in September 2015. Please make sure the artwork is framed.
Information and entry forms with program dates and guidelines are available from Community Programs Manager, Michelle Garvey (561) 791-4082.
For information about other Wellington programs, events, activities, and updates, please visit www.wellingtonfl.gov or watch Channel 18 for the latest happenings.
WHAT: Calling all sneaker enthusiasts! SoleFest West Palm Beach returns to the Palm Beach County Convention Center Saturday, May 2nd from 12pm-5pm. Join hundreds of sneaker enthusiasts and become a part of this fast growing sneaker community. Now is your opportunity to buy, sell, and trade one-of-a-kind sneakers all under one roof. SoleFest will feature unique giveaways, accessories, cash prizes and more!
