Stop in at your local library or visit its website to find out how to download magazines and current newspapers — all for free. It's easy, and your local librarian can get you started. ...

Cleveland Public Library is hosting a series of candid conversations with four women who have redefined standards for race, culture and society. As part of the Writers & Readers Series, it engages authors, academics and public figures in discussions surrounding the books and stories that have shaped their lives, according to the theme: Courage, Commitment and Change. ...

Part of the appeal of a Wine and Goldies performance is the initial thought that these are someone’s grandparents who found their way onto an NBA court. Many of them are grandparents, that’s true, but there’s nothing haphazard about their routine.  ...

Is 60 Elderly?
It is for Free Tax Help

We can debate if 60 is elderly, but don’t let that keep you from getting free help. We’re all about programs that save money, even those that sound a bit insulting.

That’s how we’re looking at the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program that offers free tax and related pension and retirement help for folks 60 and older.

Another program, the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), provides assistance to people who generally earn $57,000 or less, have disabilities or have limited English-speaking abilities.

The VITA/TCE sites are staffed by IRS-trained volunteers, many sponsored by local agencies. Find out where to go and what to bring by calling 800-906-9887 or visit irs.gov.

As an aside, AARP runs most of the region’s TCE sites for low- to moderate-income people through the AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide program. Learn more by calling 888-227-7669 or go to aarp.org and click the Tax Aide Locator link.

 

Dark Park,
Bright Skies

Some of the darkest skies in Ohio are at Geauga County’s Observatory Park, making it a terrific place to do wintertime stargazing.

The 1,100-acre park is an International Dark Sky Park, the only one in Ohio and one of about 100 worldwide. The Geauga Park District not only protects the park’s skies from light pollution, it also runs sky viewing programs there throughout the year.

Grab a coat and a pair of warm boots and see what’s up at Observatory Park. Even better, sign up for a park district program at geaugaparkdistrict.org.

For those of you keeping track, January’s Full Wolf Moon is the 17th. The Full Snow Moon is February 16.

 

Wheel-Ready
Roadies

Ohio’s newly launched older driver campaign is twofold: to keep us behind the wheel as long as it’s safe and to get us off the road when it isn’t.

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Change is good. But with us firmly settled into 2022, I’m all for ditching anything related to resolution-making. Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean we were a hot mess in the old one. We’re doing the best we can right now, all things considered, and that’s good enough for today. ...

More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and many more of us know, love and care for someone with the disease. November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the perfect time to review holiday plans about caregiving, memory loss, COVID-19 exposure and other issues. ...

Tidy, affordable neighborhoods. Check. Upscale condos and apartments. Check. Interesting restaurants. Check. To be sure, Northeast Ohio has a lot of communities that can boast the same things. What makes Cuyahoga Falls different is its proximity to so many amenities that make it an attractive place to live for people over 50.  ...

Inductee Carole King seemed excited and humbled to be at the induction and talked about the environment. Brandi Carlile, fresh off a gig as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, was effusive and relaxed. Rapper and inductee LL Cool J came across as gracious, exhilarated and, yes, cool. He sparkled from head to toe. Jennifer Hudson looked tall; Lionel Richie looked tired. Angela Bassett, who inducted Tina Turner, was dramatically and stunningly glamorous. My foray into rock & roll was short (about 8 hours), and I’m glad I did it. ...