April 2024

Visit our website at: https://vital-aging-network.org/

In this edition:

• The face of VAN: A visit with Van Executive Director Mark Skeie
• The Longevity Dividend
• Aging with Gusto updates

1. Take an organizational leap into aging
2. How you can participate in AWG

• Wellness 50+ news and notes
• Resources from partner organizations--the Healthy Aging Initiative at St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health

The face of VAN: some thoughts from Executive Director Mark Skeie.

This year, we at the Vital Aging Network (VAN) are hoping to provide you with a broader picture of what the Vital Aging Network is all about, its goals, and the people who keep it vital.

Last month we began this series with a column by Marion McCarthy, a longtime leader in VAN's Aging with Gusto and Evolve programs.

This month, we're featuring VAN's Executive Director Mark Skeie. Here's what he has to say about how he got involved in VAN:

In the fall of 2003, I completed 36 years employment with 3M. I was given the opportunity for early retirement. This offered me a chance to do something different with my life, so, I could answer, “What’s Next”. Per chance I went out to the University of Minnesota to see what might be available in terms of educational offerings. I had graduated from the U of M many years before. The school counselor introduced me to Jan Hively who was in the middle of creating a new program called Advocacy Leadership for Older Adults (now known as "Evolve") for an organization called the Vital Aging Network.

Jan talked me into joining the class. It was a nine-month program in which the students took on individual projects looking at the dimensions of leadership as an older adult. We analyzed multidiscipline perspectives of aging in our society. We then identified an individual project. I took on the task of writing a guide to retirement. Eighteen months later I completed Mapping Your Retirement. It was published in 2006.

I was asked to join the Vital Aging Network (VAN) that same year. Three years later I was elected the chair of VAN; then in 2012 I became the Executive Director of the Vital Aging Network.

I have always had a strong interest in participating in efforts for the common good: from my early days with the Boy Scouts, later serving as a training Sargent in the U.S. Army for three years, and my leadership work 3M. My work with VAN came along more by accident than on purpose. It’s been a good journey.

What's the Longevity Dividend?

A recent article in the Harvard Gazette gives an answer to that question. It provides a good perspective on older candidates for elected office and the need to reap the benefits of the “longevity dividend."  

The feature by Alvin Powell begins, "Perhaps the most fevered political argument right now is over which leading candidate racks up more memory lapses and misspoken words, but experts on aging and cognitive decline say the debate misses a key point: Both men perform at an extraordinarily high level despite their advanced years.



"And that, experts say, represents a missed opportunity to highlight the potential for the nation’s rapidly growing elder population to remain engaged, contribute to society, build on cognitive strengths that come with age and experience, and mentor a younger generation." Read the entire article to find out more about the "longevity dividend."

Thanks to VAN member Julie Roles for pointing this article out to us.

News from Aging with Gusto

Take an Organizational Leap into Aging!

Aging with Gusto (AWG), a volunteer program of the Vital Aging Network, offers its highly recognized three-part, interactive workshop series entitled--Aging with Gusto-- both locally and nationally, to a diverse group of community organizations, corporations, religious groups, affinity groups, etc. This sliding fee-based program provides an opportunity for participants to focus on the following topics:

1. What contributes to your aging with gusto?

2. How can you recognize and respond to ageism?

3. How can you use your values and goals to live a life with gusto?

It’s time to address ageism, one of the current and often unrecognized societal “isms” that not only shuns aging and favors youth but actually discriminates against our future selves! After all, we will all become old if we’re lucky. Additionally, research shows that people with more positive views of aging live an average of 71/2 years longer than those with less positive views.

This program, led by trained facilitators and described as “transformative” by some, may be held in-person or via an online platform. A minimum of 15 registered participants is required for each three-session workshop which is typically offered one week apart and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Don’t pass up this opportunity to help enhance the longevity and vitality of your community by having individuals spend a mere 4+ hours of discussion with a small, vibrant group of their chosen members.

Confronting Ageism: AWG also offers organizations a two-hour, interactive Confronting Ageism workshop that helps participants identify and develop strategies to address ageism in their professional and personal lives.(The workshop can also be tailored to a customized length that best fits your organization's needs and interests.) Costs for this workshop are based on a sliding fee scale.

Since ageism can have a significant negative impact on both an organization’s bottom line and morale, it behooves leadership to assist staff and others to explore this issue. Our Confronting Ageism workshop creates a safe environment to thoughtfully address ageism and its impact on older adults, the workplace and the community as a whole.

Act now to set up your organization’s three-part AWG series and/or the Confronting Ageism workshop by contacting: AWG@vital-aging-network.org

You can participate in Aging with Gusto this spring!

Aging with Gusto Series: Tuesdays, April 16, 23, and 30, 1-2:30 pm at New Brighton Community Center, (400 10th St. NW, New Brighton)

Cost: Free.

Register at: https://secure.rec1.com/MN/new-brighton-mn/catalog

Aging with Gusto, White Bear Lake, Thursdays, May 9,16, and 23, 10:00-11:30 am

(2482 County Road F, East, White Bear Lake) Cost:$20,

Register at: https://bit.ly/48hCXGW

Facilitators: Joann Ellis and Sally Brown

Both series feature a set of facilitated, interactive discussions to ignite a positive perception of aging and help people develop pathways to create a more accurate and comprehensive narrative about what it means to age. Each discussion focuses on a specific topic: What contributes to your aging with gusto? How can you recognize and respond to ageism?

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Dolly Parton, from inspiringquotes.com

News from Wellness 50+

What is Wellness 50+ all about?

Wellness 50+ has active teams in Washington County (primarily in Cottage Grove and Oakdale). Its purpose is to promote health and wellness in those communities. Wellness 50+ teams plan and facilitate activities that include walking groups, healthy cooking classes, book clubs, recipe sharing and more.

Click here to learn more about Wellness 50+ goals and strategies.

Wellness 50+ community-wide events

Wellness 50+ hosts a series of community-wide events in addition to events organized and led by our community groups (Oakdale, Cottage Grove, Stillwater, and Phillips neighborhood). All of our community-wide events are listed in this newsletter AND are posted on the Wellness 50+ website calendar (https://vital-aging-network.org/wellness-50). Registration for community-wide events is via our Meetup Group "Wellness 50+ Twin Cities". Join the group (Wellness 50+ Twin Cities Meetup Group). You will receive email notifications when an event is ready for registration.

Upcoming community-wide events

-May 6, Get Your Bike Ready for Riding at Oakdale Discovery Center 10 am - 1 pm 

Join us for a clinic to get you and your bike ready for riding this season. Kerri Kolstad of Wahoo Adventures will share ways to bike and stay safe while riding. Your bike will be reviewed with tires, seat and helmet adjustments as needed. Cost is $5, payable in cash at the event. Register on Meetup.  (May 6 Get Your Bike Ready)

-May 7, 1st Tuesday, Bird Watching at Lake Elmo Park 10 am - 12 pm

Shelly Bowman will be back to lead us on a bird watching hike at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. In years past we have visited other Washington County Parks with her. Join us as we explore the birds at Lake Elmo Park. Register on Meetup.  (May 7 Bird Watching at Lake Elmo Park)

-May 9, Vegetable Gardening 101 at Oakdale Discovery Center** 1 pm - 2:30 pm 

Chris White, a Washington County Master Gardener, will give a presentation on vegetable gardening. She has over 40 years of gardening experience to share. All levels of experience are welcome. Register on Meetup.  (May 9 Vegetable Gardening 101)

-May 13, Biking the Hardwood Creek Trail 9:45 am - 12:30 pm

Our first ride of the season will be on the flat, paved Washington County Hardwood Creek Trail that runs from Forest Lake to Hugo for 9.5 miles. It will be an out and back so shorter distances can be ridden. Register on Meetup.  (May 13 Biking the Hardwood Creek Trail)

-May 20, 3rd Monday, Kayaking Spoon Lake, Keller to Phalen 9:45 am - 12 pm

Our first kayak paddle of the season will be starting at Spoon Lake in Little Canada then on to Keller and possibly Lake Phalen. Beginning kayakers are welcome on this lake paddle. Cost to rent a kayak is $30; bring your own kayak is $10, payable on the Meetup event. Register on Meetup.  (May 20 Kayaking Spoon Lake)

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Community-wide events we've enjoyed recently

-Bowling at Sun Ray Lanes, March 19

We ended our winter bowling series in March. The bowling events have been fun and well attended so we plan on bringing this winter series back in future years.

-Hike at Cottage Grove Ravine Park, April 2

We had a group of 14 that hiked the paved paths of the park in spite of snow falling that morning. We never know what spring conditions will be. We were glad that the group was able to get out and enjoy the park.

Upcoming Oakdale Wellness 50+ events

Wellness Movie Club will discuss Trip to Bountiful on Tuesday, April 23, at 12:30 pm at the Oakdale Library*.

Red Cross Blood Drive will be on Thursday, April 25, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Oakdale Discovery Center**. Sponsored by Oakdale W50+, Maplewood-Oakdale Lions Club and Oakdale Recreation. Sign up at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-733-2767,

Could You Repeat That, Please? will be on Thursday, May 2, from 2 - 3:30 pm at the Oakdale Discovery Center**. Learn the importance of checking your hearing for health and happiness from audiologist Krist Albers. Register by calling 651-747-3860.

The Wellness Book Club will discuss The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk on Tuesday, May 28, at 6:30 pm at the Oakdale Library*.

Essentrics Classical Stretch sessions ended on March 28. These were free, drop-in sessions where we stretched and strengthened using two 22-minute sessions from a DVD by Miranda Esmonde-White. We plan on offering these again next winter. If you are interested in learning more about the program, check out their website (https://essentrics.com).  

Wednesday Walks will start at 9 am in April through the month of October. Meet in front of the Discovery Center** and we will walk the paths of the Oakdale Nature Preserve.

*The Oakdale Library is located at 1010 Heron Ave. North, Oakdale

**The Oakdale Discovery Center is located at 4444 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale

Washington County Food Scraps Pickup Program

Oakdale Wellness 50+ sponsored a visit to the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center in Newport MN in March 2023. We saw robots being trained to pull out special food scrap bags from the garbage. This is an innovative process that will eliminate a third residential container and truck on streets during pick up day. We are so excited that the pilot program has expanded to additional communities. Residents of Washington County (Cottage Grove, Grey Cloud Island Township, Landfall, Newport, Oakdale, St. Paul Park), and Ramsey County (Maplewood, North St. Paul) are now eligible for pick up. Order your special green bags by calling 651-661-9393 or visit FoodScrapsPickup.com. Additional communities will be eligible in future years.

From our partner organizations....

The Healthy Aging Initative at St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health

It's our goal at VAN this year to let our readers know about resources in the community that may be of use to them. This month we feature the Healthy Aging Initiative at Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health. Thanks to coordinator Julia Wolfe for this information.

The Healthy Aging Initiative at Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health convenes, connects, and coordinates efforts in the County to maintain and increase the health and wellbeing of Ramsey County residents as they age. The Initiative is based in partnership with older adults, organizations, and governments to enable healthy aging in the County in equitable and culturally revelant ways.

The Healthy Aging Coordinator, Julia Wolfe, provides weekly and monthly communications with resources and information on healthy aging in Ramsey County. The Initiative hosts monthly educational and networking meetings, and the coordinator serves as the County liaison to several area organizations that focus on aging, including the Age Friendly and Equity Alliance, Ramsey County. 

The work of the Healthy Aging Initiative is guided by Healthy Aging - A Public Health Framework. There is more information and a link to sign up for the mailing list at www.ramseycounty.us/healthyaging or by calling Julia Wolfe at 651-443-0984.