When Bobby Medina left gangs, prison and drugs behind, he found hope, love and a new life. Yet his mission to help others find the same remains a struggle against long odds.

AJ Holmes of Sonora and Dorothy Bates of San Andreas have never met, but the two women have much in common. Both live in tiny, cheerfully decorated homes that reflect warmth and creativity. AJ is a former singer and actress, and Dorothy, a retired nurse’s aide who plays harmonica and pens country songs. Both are
[continue reading...]

You might guess that Mother Lode Roundup parade stalwart June Price is, at least chronologically speaking, a senior citizen. You might not guess that she used to be shy – “very shy,” in fact. Shy won’t come to mind as the 73-year-old great-grandmother of six rolls through downtown Sonora this Mother’s Day Weekend in her
[continue reading...]

Respect, appreciation and deep gratitude punctuate Deborah Kagay’s sentences as she talks about her family’s experiences with the Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento. The hospital, one of 22 supported by Shrine clubs in the United States, Canada and Mexico, is noted for its pediatric orthopedic and burn care services. In March 1999, Deborah’s older
[continue reading...]

Like many aging fraternal orders, the Shriners’ numbers are dwindling. This is no mere clown shortage. Instead, it affects a network of children’s hospitals that, in the past five years alone, has provided free medical care to nearly 1,000 local youngsters.

There’s a movement to put a vibrant new face on senior centers as legions of Baby Boomers – whether they like it or not – attain “senior” status. The goal: refashion these sites into community hubs meeting multigenerational needs.

Planning for retirement can be a daunting prospect. The list of things to consider ranges from finances to health care to how you’re going to spend your spare time. What do you need to know about Social Security and Medicare? What if your health declines and you need special care? Should you take a part-time
[continue reading...]

The reward for decades of hard work? A highway mirage that gets further away as you approach? Or, because of the economy, illness or other unexpected developments, nothing like you thought it would be? Retirement is many things to many people, as writer Joan Jackson’s series of stories shows: Mike and Terina Harrison reached retirement
[continue reading...]

When FAN learned that Alan O’Neill was planning to retire, we asked him to keep a diary of his thoughts on one of life’s biggest transitions.

Theirs was a remarkable partnership that spanned an all-too-brief nine years. In that time, Twain Harte nurse Dorothy Moulthrop and her majestic Leonberger dog, Cowboy, visited several thousand people – in schools, care homes, hospitals, private homes and Alzheimer’s wards. They made nearly 700 therapy dog visits and, as hospice volunteers, helped more than 200
[continue reading...]