O F CUS

February 25, 2012

Unique women of Claremont

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Former Webb student set her sights high to become a Laker Girl.

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Chances are the person teaching your child in school is a woman.

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Eileen Goor guides a dog who will end up guiding others.

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The paradigms of womanhood

tereotypes about women have long been explored, established and passed on from generation to generation. When we think of women on a whole, we recall literary and mythological archetypes; the mother, the maiden, the crone, the ingnue. We see ourselves as wise or as caretakers or lovers, and it is our self view that often defines our work and endeavors, albeit subconsciously. As we began to budget this annual special

Focus, Unique Women of Claremontit became abundantly clear that the most interesting stories were those from unexpected sources. We met a cheerleaderthe seductressbut learned that beyond the outfit was a strong, capable and exceedingly intelligent woman. We looked at teachersthe schoolmarmsand were taught that it says more about society that the female to male ratio of

teachers is so far out of whack. Our exploration continued with a retired volunteer, and a young woman just finding her way. We are remindedas our work often doesthat the stories are depthless until we take time to get beyond our misconceptions and let a more accurate portrayal of our subjects crystallize. We hope you enjoy getting to know a few of Claremonts unique women.
Kathryn Dunn, Managing Editor

The Retiree

by Beth Hartnett

Claremont resident Eileen Goor volunteers as a guide dog trainer

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The Cheerleader

by Brenda Bolinger

A Claremont native dons the purple and gold with business sense

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The Teacher

by Landus Rigsby

National trend shows women make up the majority of instructors

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The Hometown Girl

by Sasha Rindisbacher

Sophomore Summer Dowd-Lukesh makes her mark at Scripps College

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Dog trainer guides those who will guide others

laremont resident Eileen Goor works 24 hours a day. She doesnt get paid, and it often takes her roaming around the Claremont Village for miles or trekking down the 57 freeway to Diamond Bar for specialized training sessions. But she loves it.
Two years ago Ms. Goor began volunteer service with Guide Dogs for the Blind, training mans best friend to be of service to the blind and visually impaired. Ms. Goor has proudly trained 2 dogs, one of which has gone on to help a woman who travels across the country as a public speaker for the Guide Dogs program. The second, Lotto the Labrador, is preparing to leave her side to finish his training at Guide Dogs headquarters next month. Despite the constant diligence and work to train Lotto and her pups for graduation daynot to mention the difficulty in parting with her constant companionsknowing her trainees are going to help others makes it all worthwhile. I am moved every time someone comes up to me and says, My son has a guide dog and I dont know what he would do without it. Or, My mother has a guide dog and she never left the house until she got one, Ms. Goor said. The first question I always get is how could you let them go? My response always is because I know what they are going to do for someone. The dogs are delivered to their trainers at just 16 weeks old. For the next 16 to 18 months, the trainers will spend every moment teaching their dogs basic commands, socialization and self-control so they can safely lead a visually impaired person through busy and unpredictable settings. Ms. Goors work with Lotto begins from the moment she wakes up to the moment she lays down to rest. My day always starts with him: taking him out, feeding him, and we usually walk at least 3 or 4 miles a day. That is part of my day no matter what, said Ms. Goor. Its a lot of fun, but its really a lot of work, too. The term work is relative for Ms. Goor, who is an avid dog lover. Both she and her husband relish the experience and time spent training their young guides. He (my husband) was very hesitant to have another dog as we travel some and got used to the flexibility one doesnt have with an animal that depends on you. But now, he cant imagine us without one, said Ms. Goor, admitting her husband has developed a special connection with Lotto. Ms. Goor moved to Claremont from Virginia 4 years ago when her husband received a job offer at the University of La Verne. The adjustment of being 2000 miles away from the life she had known was initially a struggle. Ms. Goor had left her job in ministry, all her children were grown and being in an unfamiliar place did not provide her with many socializing opportunities initially.
GUIDEDOGS continues on page 6 COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff Guide dog in training Lotto waits at the foot of his trainer Eileen Goor as she enjoys a cup of tea at Le Pain Quotidien in Claremont. Even though Lotto is still just a puppy he must learn to stay at the side of a blind person to be a good guide dog.

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COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff Claremont resident Eileen Goor walks her dog Lotto on Indian Hill Boulevard during a recent trek through Claremont. Volunteers with Guide Dogs for the Blind take their dogs on their daily routines and intentionally put them into distracting situations.

Ms. Goor works on keeping her dog Lotto from jumping up while running errands recently in Claremont. One of the most important traits of a properly trained guide dog is the ability to stay focused and at the side of the blind person. Ms. Goor has been around dogs her whole life but has recently began dog training as a volunteer for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

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COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff Claremont resident Eileen Goor receives a menu from server Yana Laptseva at Le Pain Quotidien in Claremont. Ms. Goor routinely brings her guide dog to the restaurant to get him accustomed to accompanying a blind person.

I had been a teacher for the deaf, a teacher at a college, and I was a minister. For 40 years I was very involved in purposeful work, she said. It took about a year before it dawned on me that I needed a new purpose. She decided to turn that spare time attending to the fulfillment of a lifelong dream: training guide dogs. Ms. Goor holds on to fond memories of her childhood Great Dane. She took it upon herself to help train dogs in her youth, but her father would not allow her to get involved with training guide dogs, something she passionately wanted to do since the age of 9. It was a pretty valuable learning experience about what I could achieve if I worked hard, Ms. Goor said. I always had my own dog. I would take care of my own dog, train them, and I did well. I would show dogs and they would get 100 point scores. Despite her expertise, she has found the experience of training guide dogs a completely different ball game. Some of the early days were really hard because I felt like I wasnt doing a good job, she shared. A lot of people think it will just be fun. What can be hard about playing with a puppy? But its so different. They have a very different purpose. Though she has discovered that training guide dogs is completely different from obedience trainingno playing ball, different commandsshe was able to get through the adjustment by asking lots of questions and regularly meeting with other trainers in her same situation. Dubbing themselves Diamonds in the Ruff, her group meets in Diamond Bar twice a month for special training sessions. Other similar training groups through Guide Dogs of

America exist throughout the country. Not only has her training brought her more socializing opportunities in the city of Claremontshe brings her dogs with her to Sprouts, the Laemmle and other favorite hangout spotsit has provided her with a whole new social setting through her training group. It has become almost like a family, Ms. Goor said. You are so excited when somebody gets a new puppy, just like when somebody has a new baby. We are all based around supporting each other and helping these dogs. This is an important group of people to me. Russ Pia, who has worked with Ms. Goor as the Guide Dog Puppy Raising Leader with Diamonds in the Ruff for the past 3 years, believes the training comes naturally to Ms. Goor. She has made raising her puppies seem easy, Mr. Pia said. Eileen has taken all the challenges in raising and training her puppies in stride, always trying to keep the ultimate goal in mind: these dogs are not raised as a typical pet, but rather as a guide and companion for a visually impaired person. And though she insists it isnt always as easy as it looks, her commitment hasnt waivered. It really is a miracle to see them at graduation, transformed into these working dogs who knows all of these amazing things; to see them do what you hope they were going to be able to do, Ms. Goor said. It validates what I do. I know he is going to go and do good work. Ms. Goor encourages those interested in becoming a trainer to attend a local graduation ceremony and see the dogs in action. For more information on how to get involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind, or local graduation ceremonies visit their website at www.guidedogsofamerica.org/1/.
Beth Hartnett

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COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff Guide dog in training Lotto sits at the side of his trainer Eileen Goors table recently at a restaurant in Claremonts Village West. Ms. Goor takes Lotto on her daily errands to place him in situations similar to those that visually impaired individuals may encounter.

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The business of being a Laker Girl:

Native Claremonter dons the purple and gold

hen former Claremonter Jacquelyn Umof was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be a businesswoman. She loved playing with her toy business kit, setting up shop in her room and dreaming up ways to sell her merchandise. With her childhood dream igniting the momentum, the 26-year-old Webb Schools alumna and University of Southern California merit scholar and graduate is indeed running her own business: RallyBabe, an online womens casual-but-glitzy attire and sorority clothing store.

However, what Ms. Umof probably didnt know as a little girl was that her business aspirations would play second fiddlefor nowto her current status as a Laker Girl for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. The business is moving along great, not as fast as it would if I gave all my focus to it, but thats fine. I have the rest of my life to do that. Right now, I want to take full advantage of being a Laker Girl, said Ms. Umof, currently an El Segundo resident who regards Claremont with fondness and gratitude (and called it a quaint little town to grow up in). Claremont may be quaint, but for Ms. Umof it was also rigorous and demanding. Her time at Webb, she noted, definitely prepared her for the challenges of college. But despite Webbs high academic expectations, she carved out time to pursue her passion for dance, taking ballet for hours after school everyday. Ms. Umofs intensity continued at USC where she advanced her entrepreneurial talents and joined the infamous USC Song Girl team. Sometimes I look back and wonder how I got through it all, she said. I learned incredible time management skills during that time. And it all started at Webb and its very challenging education course. I got used to being extremely challenged mentally, and surviving on very little sleep.

The exciting and bonding dance team experience at USC compelled Ms. Umof to pursue another team adventure: she landed a spot on the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team. While having a blast, she also had one eye out on the long-imagined and ber-coveted sporty dance team experiencebecoming a Laker Girl. I love the Lakers, and I always wanted to be a Laker Girl, she said. This sentiment is there for she and hundreds of other young women. Last July, more than 400 girls auditioned for the 22 available spots, and even current Laker Girls have to re-audition. A continued position is not guaranteed. Nerve-wracking is an understatement, she said. You see the line that winds around and around, and you think What am I doing here? This is so pointless. But you keep focused. Audition day was rigorous, with the group of 400 plus hopeful young women cut down to 192 after performing a 15-second dance combination for the judges. The group then learned and performed a jazz routine, and the group dwindled to 101. Another routine and another 48 disappointed girls leave: only 53 left. Ms. Umof cannot believe shes among them. It was so exciting, but I had to keep calming myself down. You start

picturing yourself in uniform and on the court, but you have to remind yourself, One step at a time, she said. Next, these 53 exhausted but excited girls have to tell the judges why they want to be a Laker Girl, followed by a solo dance. At the end of the pressure-filled day, to her great delight, Ms. Umof was asked to be one of 31 finalists who would return in a few days for a professional, oneon-one interview and a final dance audition, including being asked to demonstrate how well you can pump up a crowd. After that, its waiting for the phone call. Ms. Umof got it. Once its real, it feels like such an honor, she said. Its an incredible experience, and the fact that its a jobits a pretty cool job to have. Despite rumors that the Lakers dance team is the highest paid dance team in the NBA, most Laker Girls still retain a day job. In addition to running RallyBabe with her sister, Ms. Umof also teachers pilates. As a Laker Girl, Ms. Umof works in a field exclusively dominated by women. With her career goal to succeed as an entrepreneur, she knows she is entering an industry still largely comprised of men. Daunting? Hardly. That wont stop me. Ive always been really focused, and I know Im going to bring something different to the business world than a man brings, she said. But for now, ecstatic and feeling privileged to be
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Photo/special to the COURIER Laker Girl and former Claremonter Jacquelyn Umof.

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Photo/special to the COURIER Ms. Umof and the Laker Girls perform at a Laker game.

living the Laker Girl dream, dancing trumps business. Simple fact: being a Laker Girl is fun, fun, fun. But its more than that, said Ms. Umof. The greatest reward, she explained, is the constant involvement in community service. Appearing at nonprofit organization charity events, visiting young patients in a childrens hospital, going to halfway homes and convalescent homes and even skid row. Having contributed a substantial amount of volunteer service in the past, Ms. Umof is utterly pleased that being a Laker Girl means the opportunity to do more. We do a ton of community service. Its not something I expected. We did some with the Clippers, but this is A LOT, she said. And people are so appreciative, so happy. I didnt know I was going to make such an impact. You come on as a dancer, and then you get a whole other experience. Were actually making a difference.

While sitting, waiting and nail biting with 400 other young women, Ms. Umof dreamt about wearing the Laker Girl uniform. Now that she has one (well, many more than one: each Laker Girl typically brings 4 or 5 outfits to each basketball game), she realizes how much power it has to make people feel good. And this means a lot to Ms. Umof. When you put on the uniform, it seems to mean something to people. Ive done a lot of community service in my life, but when the uniform is on, for the people were visiting, its like someone special is there, she remarked. You feel like, wow, I can really help people feel better. Its so rewarding. Not taking for granted that she is among the few who get to serve as Laker Girls among the hundreds, probably thousands, who want to, Ms. Umof is giving it her all, knowing that her business aspirations will maintain their vigor until shes ready to follow them full-force. For now, the Lakers are priority number one. Everything else that I do is scheduled around being a Laker Girl, she said. Sometimes on the court I still think I cant believe Im out here! And I stop and appreciate it, because I know that as I get older, time will just go by so quickly.
Brenda Bolinger

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CUSD follows national trend with female teacher majority

he teaching profession in the United States has traditionally been female dominated. The trend holds true today throughout the country and, more specifically, in Claremont.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics report using data through 2008, women made up 76 percent of K-12 public school teachers in the United States. Of the approximately 300 teachers that the Claremont Unified School District employs, more than 70 percent are female. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the majority of female teachers could be found in prekindergarten and kindergarten (97 percent), special education (85 percent) and elementary through middle school (81.8 percent). Maybe its too much nurturing because there are so many things you do as an elementary school teacher that isnt teaching, Sycamore Elementary School fourth through sixth grade teacher Lisa Schuster said. If you become an elementary school teacher, it is because you like it, or because you enjoy helping a kid who comes into the classroom crying after recess or dealing with upper graders who are in the pre-teen stage. CUSD has 149 classroom teachers at the K-6 level. Women make up 91 percent of the districts elementary teaching staff while only 14 male teachers are spread across the districts 8 elementary school campuses. Both Chaparral and Sumner have the highest number of male elementary teachers with 4 each. The reasons women enter the teaching profession differ from person to person, yet many feel at home with younger students. Teachers such as Chaparral

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff Sycamore Elementary School teachers Lenora Hester, left, Anna Sanchez and Diana Fenner share a laugh while eating lunch last Friday at the school.

second grade instructor Margaret Russell come from a line of teachers that span multiple generations. For me, its in my bones, said Ms. Russell, who has 4 male teacher colleagues at the school. Ive come from a family of teachersmy grandmother was the first female principal of a public school where she worked. For teachers such as Sycamore first and second grade teacher Lenora Hester, the intent was to make an impact on childrens lives. I just started volunteering working with kids and I became a teacher because I liked it, Ms. Hester said. There were kids who were struggling and I wanted to help them. Ken Knox, a Chaparral sixth grade teacher was originally looking to coach and considered becoming a high school teacher. But as he progressed in his coursework, he found the elementary level was more in tune with his long-term goals.

Once I got into teaching, it was a lot more excitingthere were 6 different subjects that I was now teaching and I had more fun doing a variety of things, said Mr. Knox, who has taught at Chaparral for 22 years. I couldnt imagine doing anything elseI think when kids go to middle school, theyre going to have more male teachers. But they do need to have a male teacher before middle school, along with having female teachers. Sycamore and Mountain View Elementary Schools both have an all-female teaching staff. The schools also happen to be under female leadership with Amy Stanger as principal of Sycamore and Clara Dehmer at the helm of Mountain View. Ms. Schuster said the Sycamore staff works well together but misses having a male presence on campus. The school hasnt had a male teacher on campus since Brian DAmbrosia-Donner served as a kindergarten teacher a few years ago. We miss men. I dont think having all female teachers is bad, but we miss the dynamic of having both men and women on staff, Ms. Schuster said. Sycamore teacher Ann OConnor echoed the sentiment. I think we need many more male teachers overall, Ms. OConnor said. They face different challenges than women, but I think some of the best teachers out there are men. Secondary education has fared differently between the genders with a more equal representation of male and female teachers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 57 percent of teachers at that level are female. The National Center for Education
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COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff Several of Sycamore Elementary Schools teachers and staff members sit down for lunch last Friday at the school. Sycamores 23 staff members are all women which is typical of primary schools in California.

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Ann OConnor hands out student work assignments to her second and third grade students last Friday at Sycamore Elementary School. The entire staff at Sycamore is female and there are only a handful of men who teach at the primary level throughout Claremont.

Statistics reported that 59 percent of full-time secondary teachers were female in 2010, a growth of 4 percent from 2000. Claremont High Schools ratio of female to male teachers is 52 percent to 48 percent. Similar to the elementary school level, the middle school and high school teachers also have their own reasons for choosing the higher grade levels. Claremont High School history and photography teacher Bruce Pottorff chose the secondary level because of opportunities to engage students in critical thinking. Other teachers such as Jose Ancona, Ryan Campuzano, Mike Collins, Jack Harper and Terrance Lynch are using their opportunity at CHS to both teach and coach. Being a teacher seemed like something that came naturally and several people told me Id make a great teacher, Mr. Pottorff said. So I started attending Pitzer College and studied philosophy simply because I liked it. After I graduated, I had 2 choiceswork toward a PhD while stringing together odd jobs or become a teacher. High school is almost like teaching adultsit appealed to me to help teach these young adults how to think. So in teaching history, they are able to learn critical thinking skills.

CHS science teacher Carly McKean entered secondary education 6 years ago when she saw how her fianc was making a difference in the lives of kids at the Youth Activity Center. Its been pretty even [between female and male teachers at CHS], she said. I think the reason why there arent more male elementary teachers is that as far as socially and biologically, women are still considered the caretakers. People still look down on primary male teachers. I think in the future, the female to male teacher ratio overall might stay the same because of the psychological effects, and I believe the role that psychology has played has been underemphasized. While women continue to numerically dominate in K-12, teachers such as Ms. Russell at Chaparral find male teachers to be an important and welcome addition to the classroom. She is particularly complimentary of Mr. Knox, who has been a fixture at Chaparral for more than 2 decades. We are extraordinarily lucky to have Mr. Knox. Hes not only a great teacher but a superb individual, Ms. Russell said. Every male teacher we have [at Chaparral] is quite extraordinary. So many children need strong role models like them. Ms. Russell believes that the constant scrutiny is onr factor in why we dont see more males in teaching positions. At this time, we need more men, but theyre not coming because its too dangerous and they can get into trouble, she said. The societal perception is becoming that even if someone makes an accusation, it can destroy a good mans reputation and I think that is scaring men away.
Landus Rigsby

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o a young person who has grown up in Claremont, the fact that we live in the city of trees and PhDs may not seem so novel and impressive, but to many non-natives, the towns academic, cultural and political vibes are an inspiration.
The Claremont Colleges best embody this productive, progressive drive in Claremont, attracting many young people from around the United States and the world and providing academic resources and opportunities for unbound creativity. For Summer Dowd-Lukesh, Claremont has been an integral part of her education long before she started attending Scripps College in 2010. Though she was born in Colorado, Ms. DowdLukeshs life after her family moved to southern California has always been centered around Claremont. While living in Rancho Cucamonga, her father taught at an elementary school in Pomona, and the family attended church in Claremont. Ms. Dowd-Lukeshs godfather had also long been in Claremont working at Some Crust Bakery. Education was always very important in Ms. DowdLukeshs family, as her mother is a professor at Chaffey College, and her father now teaches at Fremont Academy, a school of engineering and design in Pomona, so her parents decided to have Ms. DowdLukesh and her siblings attend middle school and high school in Claremont. While at Claremont High School, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh was a dedicated and distinguished member of David Chamberlains speech and debate team. She served as captain of the teams parliamentary and public forum debate formats, and she won district champion in Congress debate in 2009, and League champion in Public Forum debate in 2010, ultimately qualifying for California state tournaments 2 years in a row. Even after graduating from CHS, Ms. DowdLukesh was honored and inducted into the teams hall of fame. Ms. Dowd-Lukeshs victorious speech and debate record is certainly only the very beginning of her list of
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Young Democrat sets sights on political, educational ambitions

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff Claremont-raised Summer Dowd-Lukesh is studying political science and French as a sophomore at Scripps College and is very involved with campus activities.

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achievements, and is a telling characteristic of her political inclinations and ambitions. Soon after she started attending Scripps College, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh channeled this ambition into various projects across several organizations and projects at Scripps and other colleges. The transition to Scripps was definitely weird, especially with it being a womens college. It was hard adjusting at first, but then I found KSPC and really got involved, she said. At Scripps, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh started working in the public affairs program of KSPC, a college and community radio station funded by student associations of the 5 colleges. Last year, she put her experience at KSPC radio to work and created a final project based on radio journalism. Ms. Dowd-Lukesh began writing for The Student Life (TSL) at Pomona College, and soon joined the writing staff of Port Side, a progressive political magazine and blog based at Claremont McKenna College. Writing for Port Side is only one of many ways Ms. Dowd-Lukesh is politically engaged. She is also vice president of the Democrats of the Claremont Colleges. I come from a democratic family, and I believe

strongly in liberal, democratic values, she said. Last weekend, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh and fellow Democrats of the Claremont Colleges members attended the Democratic Convention in San Diego. It was really great, being able to meet some of my favorite politicians: Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, she said. In addition to meeting some of her political idols, the convention was highlighted by an unexpected turn of events: Occupy protesters showed up and protested against the Democratic Party and the convention. They were saying things like democrats and republicans are the same, and were generally angry about Democratic Party members being rich and having power, she said. It was kind of upsetting, since I like to think that we are on their side, but also very interesting, as I have never experienced being protested against, and it definitely changes your perspective. The protest did not greatly impact Ms. DowdLukeshs political aspirations, however. When asked about what she wants to do after college, she named politics as a possible direction. I think I might intern among congressional staff in Washington DC right after I graduate, but I think that working in the political sphere is very likely. I dont think I could ever be an elected official, but I could see myself working in local government or as a lobbyist, she said.

Apart from those possibilities, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh intends to go to graduate school, likely apply for a Fulbright scholarship and has considered the Teach for America program, as her parents are both teachers and educational policy is of great concern to her. As the latter possibilities imply, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh is also very socially conscious. She is a tutor in the Scripps College Academy, a program created by a Scripps alum to aid underprivileged high school girls with their academics. Last year, she worked for Fresh Air Fund, a program for inner-city children that gives them the opportunity to get out of the city and experience the country. Ms. Dowd-Lukeshs political aspirations and social consciousness are reflected in her studies: she is studying political science and French, and to learn the language in the most exciting way, she will study abroad in Paris for the entirety of the next academic year. To help support this venture financially, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh works 11 to 15 hours a week at Pomonas caf, the Coop, and other places on campus, in addition to all of her journalistic ventures at Port Side, TSL and KSPC. Though she may be busy from dusk-till-dawn, Ms. Dowd-Lukesh says she still makes time for fun, even the kind that is not related to political engagement.
Sasha Rindisbacher

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VIEWPOINT

Proper financial planning is critical for Women

by Suzanne H. Christian, CFP

key goal of investing for retirement is making sure you save enough money and have other resources to last throughout your lifetime. Historically, women may need to save more than men.

According to the Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Sciences, current life expectancy of a female at birth is almost 81 years, compared with 75 years for a male. Although 6 years may not appear significant, many people in this age group incur expenses for health care and other items while trying to live off of Social Security and possibly depleting personal assets in the process. Keep in mind that life expectancy statistics are averages from all over the country. Some people live much longer, even well into their 90s. It is not unusual for an individuals retirement to last 20 or 30 years, or more. Additionally, how many years will an individual work and contribute to retirement assets? Many women take time off for care giving responsibilities which can be ongoing throughout their lives and may divert funds from retirement savings. In addition, time off from work could affect Social
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FINANCIALPLANNING continued from the previous page

Security benefits because those who are not working do not earn social security credits towards retirement. Of course, every womans life is unique. Many women capitalize on the benefits available to them, including participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or funding an IRA, to build the assets needed for their later years. Its important not to underestimate how much is needed, or the importance of ongoing contributions to retirement accounts to build assets over time.

To get started, calculate the following: What is the after-tax figure you will need to live on monthly when you retire? Where will it come from? When considering sources of retirement income, log on to www.ssa.gov. Social security has stopped mailing statements as a cost cutting measure; therefore, this site is a good source of information. Guesstimate what annual inflation will do to that figure. Calculate your future health care costs. Now see how you can adjust your lifestyle to prepare for your retirement. If you find that your retirement assets are coming up short, delaying retirement

or saving more while you continue to work may be helpful strategies. All of these considerations are, of course, challenges that need to be addressed in a disciplined and thoughtful manner. In response to the frequently asked question of when to start on this planning process, always keep in mind the old adage, The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the next best time is today! Suzanne H. Christian, CFP 419 Yale Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 ** Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC.