Senior Lifestyles

Mary Larsen/Town Crier
Bob Simon relaxes at his Los Altos home in front of a framed caricature of former President Barack Obama by cartoonist Joel Pett.

A popular speaker, poet and author of the Town Crier column “Rhyme on My Hands” since 2013, Los Altos resident Bob Simon has a way with words.

His poems are deep and thought-provoking – or light and humorous. The succinct verses can inspire either reflection or (intended) laughter.

Courtesy of BANK OF THE WEST
The Bank of the West team, from left, Michael Pollano, Amal Allan, Shawn Lin and Henry Young, works to keep its clients safe from scammers.

Telephone and email scams are all too common these days, with perpetrators concocting myriad scenarios to demand money from victims. Popular ones include schemes about grandchildren and fake problems with PG&E.

One of the advantages of living in a small town and being known at the local bank is that employees often notice when something seems suspicious and can step in to prevent costly mistakes.

As we head into the new year, let’s review how much your Medicare premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs will total in 2020.

LA Senior Program

The Los Altos Senior Center is located at Grant Park, 1575 Holt Ave. For more information, call 947-2797 or visit losaltosca.gov/recreation/page/senior-program.

• Los Altos Library’s Go Go Biblio. The bookmobile visits the senior center 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays. Bring your library card.

Medicare enrollment period

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period closes Dec. 7.

To compare available plans, visit tinyurl.com/MedicareCompare.

Mary Larsen/Town Crier
Dr. Frank Berry relaxes with his wife, Nora Buys. The Los Altos resident turned 100 Oct. 2.

Los Altos resident Dr. Frank Berry celebrated his 100th birthday Oct. 2. Actually, the festivities spanned more than one day, with multiple parties in his honor. He even received a lifetime membership to Los Altos Golf & Country Club, where he has been a member since 1956 – playing golf, tennis and bridge.

An ophthalmologist in Mountain View and Los Altos from 1953 until his retirement in 1985, Berry was one of the founding doctors on Altos Oaks Drive and was instrumental in the creation of El Camino Hospital.