TODAY’S MEETING (May 21st)

Bob Reisinger, Executive VP of the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Board of Realtors will address the group with news from the world of real estate

LAST MEETING (May 14th)

Kris Hansen, Vice President of Western Home Communities, spoke to the Club about a variety of issues affecting our aging population in Iowa and throughout the country. The percentage of Iowans over 65 years old was 14% (relatively high on a national scale) in 2005, and is expected to soar to 21% by 2025. He presented some statistics about the number of Americans facing chronic diseases, health care costs and the time/expense of providing care to the sick and elderly. In order to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, the Western Home Foundation recently completed an independent research study in an effort to gain an understanding of perspectives on senior living and retirement in the Cedar Valley. Complete results are soon to be shared with community leaders; Western Home Communities wants to be a leader in identifying critical needs facing all facets of the Cedar Valley in the years lying immediately ahead. Kris also answered several questions about the growing retirement living options now provided at their South Main Street campus, and briefly spoke about different "buy-in" options that are offered by different providers of nursing care.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

May 28 … Memorial Day - No meeting

June 4 … A representative from the Cedar River Environmental Group will speak to the club

BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES

Craig Schwerdtfeger, May 25th None

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Only 34 more days until the 2007 Sturgis Falls Lions Club Pancake Breakfast.

LIONS FACT

There are 338 communities in Iowa that have Lions Clubs.

DID YOU KNOW

On average, women say 7,000 words per day. Men manage just over 2,000.

There are approximately 2,700 different species of mosquitoes and their average life span is two weeks. The disease-carrying mosquito, delivering encephalitis, the West Nile virus, Malaria, and Dengue fever, is by far the deadliest beast in the animal world. The World Health Organization says mosquitoes cause more than 2 million deaths a year worldwide and no animal has caused more deaths in human history.

The average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in a lifetime.

A dog can make approximately 100 facial expressions.

Once a human reaches the age of 35, he/she will start losing approximately 7,000 brain cells a day. The cells will never be replaced.

Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

IT'S GREAT TO BE A LION!