B8
February 27, 2020
The Chronicle
Seniors’ artistic talents shine in SilverArts competition
BY JUDIE HOLCOMB-PACK
THE CHRONICLE
N.C. Senior Games be
gan in 1983 with a goal to
create a year-round health
promotion and education
program for North Caro
linians 50 years of age
and better and to provide a
holistic approach to body,
mind and spirit, staying fit
while enjoying the compa
ny of other seniors. Today,
there are over 60,000 par
ticipants in 53 local games
that serve all 100 counties
across the state.
Our local Piedmont
Plus Senior Games/Sil-
ver Arts offers numerous
athletic and skill events,
including traditional track
and field events, team
sports such as basketball
and softball, recreational
sports such as golf and
bowling, and tests of skill
such as football throwing
and spin casting.
However, the “Silver
Arts” part of Senior Games
doesn’t garner as much at
tention, even though it is
growing as more people
age 50 and above find out
about what all it offers our
creative seniors. Todd
Collins, Senior Games co
ordinator, has just finished
his first year with Recre
ation and Parks. He said,
“I have been impressed
with the variety of talent
we have in our commu
nity.” Collins continued,
“I have also noticed the
new friendships that have
developed through par
ticipation in Senior Games
and especially among the
SilverArts participants,
who have the opportunity
to showcase their talent
among their peers and
family.”
Unlike the sporting
events, where participants
compete in age groups,
SilverArts’ participants
compete individually in a
large range of categories.
Seniors can submit one en
try per subcategory.
In the Heritage Arts
category, subcategories
are: basket weaving, china
painting, crocheting, jew
elry, knitting, needlework,
pottery, quilting, rugs,
stained glass, tatting and
needlepoint, tole/decora-
tive painting, wall hang
ings, weaving, woodcarv
ing, woodworking and
woodturning.
In the Visual Arts cat
egory, subcategories are:
acrylics, drawing, mixed
media, oil, pastels, pho
tography, sculpture, water-
color, and adult coloring.
In the Literary Acts
category, subcategories
are: essay, poem, life expe-
rience/memoir, and short
story.
In the Performance cat
egory, entries range from
individual to group perfor
mances, such as singing,
playing a musical instru
ment, dancing (including
line dancing, interpretive
dance, and couples), tai chi
routines, cheerleading, and
stand-up comedy.
Entry fee for Senior
Games is $12 and there
Photo by Judi.e Holcomb-Pack
Some of the Heritage Arts entries in the 2018 SilverArts competition.
is no additional fee to en
ter SilverArts. The official
age for participation is 50,
so you need to be age 50
by December 31, 2020, to
participate in this year’s
games. Many older adults
don’t start until their late
50s or wait until they are
retired before “taking the
leap” into Senior Games
competition. But the ear
lier you start, the more fun
you’ll have!
Without a doubt, to
day’s seniors are more
active than ever. When it
comes to participating in
Senior Games, one com
ment often heard is, “If I
had known how much fun
it was, I would have start
ed earlier!”
For more information
contact:
Piedmont Plus Senior
Games, 2301 N. Patter
son Ave., Brown-Phillips-
Smith Building, Winston-
Salem 27105. Contact
Chuck Vestal at 336-727-
2325 or Todd Collins
at 336-727-2978. Entry
forms are available at all
local recreation centers.
Not happy with your Medicare Advantage plan?
You can make changes through March 31 during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment
By lora Primary Care
Are you not feeling the “advantage” in
your current Medicare Advantage plan?
Are you unhappy with the network’s pro
viders or pharmacy options, or just feel
ing regret about your fall selection?
Unfortunately, you’re not alone. For
tunately, if you enrolled in a Medicare
Advantage plan, now may be the perfect
time to make a switch.
Each year, seniors on Medicare have
two opportunities to change their plans.
And while most are familiar with the ini
tial Fall Annual Enrollment Period, Oct.
15- Dec. 7, many are less familiar with the
newer Medicare Advantage Open Enroll
ment Period, given its recent introduction
just last year.
Happening now through March 31,
this new period provides a second chance
to those on Medicare Advantage plans
to change their selections. However, un
like the fall annual enrollment period,
enrollees are permitted to make only one
change during this time, so making an in
formed decision is all the more important.
Here are some important things to
consider:
What changes can I make now dur
ing the new Open Enrollment Period?
For those on Medicare Advantage
plans, this new period presents a limited,
three-month opportunity (Jan. 1 - March
31) to compare, reassess and make chang
es to an existing advantage plan. (Note:
If you’re enrolled in Original Medicare
(Part A and Part B), the new open enroll
ment period doesn’t apply to you).
During this new period, MA enrollees
can:
*Switch to another Medicare Advan
tage plan.
*Drop your Medicare Advantage plan
and return to Original Medicare.
*Make changes to your Part D pre
scription drug coverage, if: (1) switching
from a Medicare Advantage plan without
prescription drug coverage to another Ad
vantage plan that includes it; or (2) drop
ping a Medicare Advantage plan to return
to Original Medicare, in which case you
may enroll in a stand-alone Part D pre
scription drug plan.
*As a policyholder of a Medicare Ad
vantage plan, you are able to make one
switch to your policy during this time, and
your chosen coverage goes into effect on
the first day of the next month from when
you make the change. For example, if
you switch Medicare Advantage plans in
March, then your new coverage becomes
effective April 1.
How do I choose a plan or doctor
that’s right for me?
Along with switching plans, the Open
Enrollment Period is a great opportunity
to evaluate if your current primary care
provider is working for you. However,
with so many options, it’s often helpful to
sit down with an insurance representative
or agent who can help you choose a plan
that best suits your lifestyle and goals.
At lora Primary Care, a local doctor’s
office for adults on Medicare, our Patient
Enrollment team can connect you to trust
ed insurance agents that can help explore
your options and make the decision that’s
right for you. With an office conveniently
located in Winston-Salem, our team is
happy to help answer your questions and
refer you to someone to help you find the
right plan for you.
For more information or to schedule a
tour of lora Primary care, calf 336-355-
4635 or visit: http://www.iorawinstonsa-
lem.com.
90-year-old SilverArts participant publishes second book
BY JUDIE HOLCOMB-PACK
THE CHRONICLE
- There are people who
write. And then there are
people who WRITE! Jes
sie Crockett is one of the
latter. She has been writ
ing for as long as she can
remember. Even as a little
Photo by Judie Holcomb-Pack
Jessie Crockett shows off some of the many medals she
has won in the SilverArts competition.
Affordable Senior Communities
w/(Renta( Assistance & Section 8 ‘Assistance Available
girl, Jessie wrote rhymes
and poetry. “I get up in the
morning and I just start
writing,” she said.
Crockett’s writing has
earned her 21 medals in the
SilverArts literary compe
tition of Senior Games and
recently she published her
second book of short sto
ries and essays, “Encour
aging Stories and Essays.”
Jessie said, “Writing is my
gift and writing my book sometimes I write when I
gives me a chance to use ’ get up in the morning and
my gift.”
Jessie graduated from
Atkins High School in
1947 and wrote the class
song and history. She also
wrote the gossip column
for the school newspaper,
the “Maroon Wave.” Clin
ton Lockhart wrote as her
yearbook class prophecy,
“Jessie Meadows will be
the editor of the New York
Times.” She had wanted to
be a journalist, but ended
up working at and retiring
from R. J. Reynolds.
Jessie said that “I feel
at home when I’m writ
ing” and writes when she
feels inspired. She said, “I
am a creative writer and
sometimes I write when I
wake up at night.” And she
doesn’t use a computer;
she writes everything by
hand, “in cursive,” she
states.
Jessie has participated
in the Piedmont Senior
Games/SilverArts compe
titions since 1991and has
won 21 medals. Chuck
Vestal, Recreation and
Parks Special Populations
supervisor, said, “Over my
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Community room, computer lab, resident activities,
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3727 Old Lexington Rd. 336.771.9028
Community room, computer lab, resident activities,
laundry room, and 24 hour on-call maintenance
Country Village
201 Park Ridge Cir. 336.765.4354
Community room, computer lab, resident activities,
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years with the Piedmont
Plus Senior Games/Silver-
Arts, Jessie has become a
dear friend. Every so often
she makes time to come by
and visit. It is during these
special visits at which I
learn what she is writing at
the current time. She loves
to share her passion for
writing and I am excited to
hear what she has in store
for us next. She is a long-
time SilverArts participant
and we are excited to see
her 2020 entries.”
Jessie would like to
encourage seniors and oth
ers to write. She said, “We
have things that have hap
pened to us that we could
tell about. I would like
people to put their talents
to use.”
Jessie, who will cel
ebrate her 90th birthday
in March, said, “Who
would have thought that at
my age I would have two
books published?” Her ad
vice to seniors: “Don’t sit
on your talent - do it!”
Jesse Crocker’s latest
book, “Encouraging Sto
ries and Essays,” as well
as her first book, “Expres
sions from the Heart,” are
available on Amazon.com.
SilverArts
accepts
poems, short stories, es
says and memoir that are
blind-judged by members
of Winston-Salem Writers.
Entry forms are available
at all recreation centers or
by going to www.weplay.
ws and clicking on the Se
niors link.