Ewing Sir | Ewing & Associates

Not your average senior citizens

Clyde East

By: Cindy Libonati

Stroll into a classroom full 5^th grade boys and you’ll likely find a consortium of hodgepodge personalities, class clowns and painfully veracious adolescents. Walk into the West Hills Wendy’s on a Monday morning and you’ll find a cartel of veterans that remain strikingly similar. But beneath the façade of pithy comments and relentless remarks, these Vet’s contain thousands of remarkable anecdotes. From flying B-24’s in a formation of 2,000 airplanes to door gunners in Vietnam, this group of vet’s have established what they call, “Wing’s over Wendy’s.”

On any given Monday, 70 to 80 Veterans congregate to sip coffee, eat doughnuts and sustain their camaraderie as U.S. Veterans. The leader of the madness is Art Sherman, a fearless commander of this bunch who, among other things, leads their weekly raffle. The most coveted item this week? Hand sanitizer.

Amongst the many gallant members, “Wings over Wendy’s” is lucky enough to have Clyde East. East is currently honored in the Reagan Library for taking some of the only photos of Cuban weapons that later uncovered the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Roger Ewing, Elmo E. Maiden, Art Sherman, and Cindy Libonati (left to right)

Elmo Maiden, a B-24 pilot stationed in England who flew 35 missions in 1944 and 1945, still flies to Sacramento to visit his family. He is 90 years old. But spend a few brief moments with Elmo and he’ll surely dazzle you with his abundant energy and warm spirit.

Charles Slezak and Neil Houston are seasoned airplane mechanics that worked on sea planes and labored for over 30 years under the now waning American Airlines. Both Houston and Slezak are not the torpor, languid seniors you may envision. These guys abound with energy in their old age.

After spending a brief hour with 80 veterans, I walked out to a breezy parking lot and began to reflect on the myriad of stories these old lives maintain. It is an experience I won’t soon forget. I’d like to extend my gratitude to those who courageous sacrificed for our United States.

Thank you to all those who served our country.

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Stretch Your Gift Giving Budget!

By: Deena Nissley

You might find that for you, what Dr. Seuss wrote in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” rings true:

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!’

Here are some other creative gift-exchange ideas that let you stretch the fun and the dollars:

The Dollar-Store Gift Exchange: If it’s truly the thought that counts, then set a spending limit of a single sawbuck and see how creative everyone can get at the dollar store.
The Regift Exchange: Agree to wrap up something you already own and don’t need (that’s still in the box or in mint condition), and give it to someone who will appreciate it. Remember: It’s only regifting if you believe it’s regifting.
The Handmade Gift Exchange: The giver has to make each present, be it a birdhouse, a fruitcake, a poem, or a pair of slippers.
The Old-Photo Gift Exchange: What more cherished—and inexpensive—gift could there be than an old family photo? Get up there in the attic and see what you can find! To boot, you could probably find a suitable frame at the Dollar Store, an outlet, or a thrift store.
The Charity Gift Exchange: Don’t you already have everything you need? Many are not as fortunate, so agree to make a contribution to a charity rather than trading gifts.
The Tackiest Gift Exchange: Keep it cheap and fun by seeing who can give the tackiest gift for under $5.
The Gift-of-Time Exchange: Exchange gift cards for your time. Recipients redeem them, and have you do anything from washing their car to giving them a massage or volunteering your time for a charity of their choice.
The Baked-Goods Gift Exchange: Those cookies don’t qualify unless you baked them yourself.
The Talent-Show Gift Exchange: Give the pleasure of free entertainment by performing your special talent before a gathering of family or friends. Have a Christmas concert! Did you know that I can recite “The Night Before Christmas” while standing on my head?