Dave Walker and Lois Hart became a bit emotional during their final KCRA broadcast.

The Internet, smart phones and tiny cameras are fundamentally redefining how information is disseminated by broadcast and other traditional media.

Is longtime KCRA 3 anchor Lois Hart wistful about exiting amid this revolution?

"Absolutely not. Our timing is good," said Hart, who last week retired along with her husband and co-anchor, Dave Walker.

Like their counterparts in the newspaper business, TV journalists are scrambling to maintain the attention of Americans. Their audience, already fragmented by the entrance of cable, is now being atomized by high-tech alternatives.

And – high-definition notwithstanding – the picture for television is clouded by the economic chill now gripping the nation. Auto manufacturers and retailers, big sources of TV advertising dollars, are especially hard hit.

In a study of the medium, Tom Rosenstiel of the Project for Excellence in Journalism in Washington, D.C., ticked off some telling signs of distress:

• Ratings for local news have declined over the past five to 10 years.

• Revenues are slightly up, but down when inflation is factored in.

• Stations are trying to find ways outside traditional commercials to make revenue, such as sponsored weather maps or traffic reports.

• Stations are cutting back on correspondents and producers.

And, Rosenstiel predicted, "next year's going to be worse."

Although KCRA 3 has often boasted the lead news programming in the Sacramento region, nearly all stations have seen some erosion in their ratings.

They have tried to maintain viewership numbers – and hence advertising dollars – by expanding the number of news shows they produce.

KCRA added 2 1/2 hours of news programming in about 18 months, said Anzio Williams, news director for the station.

However, those kind of additions, Rosenstiel said, "do not make up for all the losses."

Local news has traditionally had big profits, media watchers say. With falling revenue, cuts may be inevitable.

Local station KOVR 13, for example, was among many CBS stations to make cuts in March. Station executives confirmed the departure of only two on-air figures, but others estimated the departures at 10.

Before this year, staff sizes were pretty stable, according to the Project on Excellence in Journalism.

The future, Hart said, looks "leaner and meaner."

That can mean leaner budgets for local news and leaner budgets for anchor pay.

"There is less willingness to pay an inflated salary for that role," said Jill Geisler, a member of the journalism- oriented Poynter Institute faculty and a former anchor and news director.

Stations also won't pay to send reporters on as many out-of-town trips, said Barbara O'Connor of CSU Sacramento's Institute for the Study of Politics and Media.

Gone are the days when Stan Atkinson – Hart and Walker's predecessor – did so many remote anchor stints he was nicknamed "Gunga Stan."

News staff, including anchors, will have to play multiple roles.

"Anyone can write, anyone can edit, anyone can report from a computer," Hart said.

At some stations, a single person may perform reporting and camera roles. The term "mojo," shorthand for mobile journalist, popped up in 2005 to describe this new breed of multitasker.

"We live in a YouTube world where more people are going to be in front of the camera who never thought they would," said Geisler.

Almost anyone can use media techniques to report news in blogs or on video sharing sites.

Despite the fact that such citizen journalists sometimes use these techniques to critique established media outlets, the outlets have turned to newspaper readers and TV audiences to contribute to their news production.

Many local news advocates counter that YouTube can't replace local news.

"In a world of 500 channels and the Internet, what are the things we can bring?" asked Russell Postell, KXTV's general manager. "I would say they (YouTube, etc.) are not relevant to your life in Sacramento."

"People will always need local news," said Gulstan Dart who, along with Edie Lambert, will make up KCRA's new primary anchor team.

Local television news still owns the franchise for immediacy on things such as weather, traffic, local sports and breaking local news.

"The times when people are most likely to watch TV news is in times of crisis," said KCRA's Williams.

And yet, it's not hard to envision that changing, given some recent developments:

• President-elect Barack Obama is promising regular YouTube addresses to the country.

• Smart phones like the iPhone and Google phone promise the ready availability of weather reports and even video when you want it.

• Newspapers, including The Bee, have added video and constantly updated news on Web sites.

• HD Flip cameras suggest the possibility of citizen reporters everywhere.

• Monitors at gas pumps offer freeway conditions when you're already on the road.

Things are changing and "that's putting it mildly," Hart said. "The Internet is eating into our action."

She hopes the changes to TV news will be slow, but the direction is clear.

Although the word "iconic" is overused, it applies to the role of anchors like Hart and Walker, a pair whom local viewers have invited into their homes for 18 years.

To many of the region's residents, the couple are the image that represents KCRA. To a few, they are the station.

When they leave, "that's a big crisis," said Rosenstiel. Viewers don't like to change their habits, he said, and this particular change comes at a time when viewers are already being lured to tune out.

Williams says he's not worried. The station has a wealth of experienced staffers who will pick up Hart and Walker's torch.

"We still have a solid team of journalists here," he said, acknowledging that "it will take some time before our viewers see chemistry from our current anchor teams."

KCRA will likely see some viewership erode, even with good successors, Rosenstiel said. How badly?

"Only time will tell," he said.

Is it the start of December already? We'd best get on with rounding up some holiday- oriented books, which include mystery, humor, feel-good and romance:

"Dashing Through the Snow" by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $23, 240 pages): The mother-daughter (respectively) mystery writers set their fifth yuletide suspense novel in a small New Hampshire town. Two visiting sleuths must solve a puzzle involving a multimillion-dollar lottery ticket and a missing person.

"The Spy Who Came for Christmas" by David Morrell (Vanguard, $15.95, 220 pages): The award- winning thriller novelist tells a Christmas Eve story about a wounded American spy in Santa Fe, N.M. who is trying to keep a very special baby safe from kidnapping by the Russian mob. He finds help from a distraught single mother and her 12-year-old son, who are themselves in a different kind of danger.

"Six Geese a-Slaying" by Donna Andrews (St. Martin's, $22.95, 288 pages): The 10th title in the series involves amateur sleuth Meg Langslow's search for a Santa killer (she's hoping he won't spoil the Christmas pageant).

"A Christmas Grace" by Anne Perry (Ballantine, $18, 224 pages): The veteran novelist's sixth Christmas-themed book is serious, but fast-moving. At a priest's request, a niece travels to the remote Irish coast to comfort an ailing aunt, and ends up solving a mystery that has long haunted the whole village.

"Holidays On Ice" by David Sedaris (Little, Brown, $16.99, 176 pages): The popular humor writer compiles a dozen wacky stories (six of which are new) that could happen only around the holidays and be recounted only in the inimitable Sedaris style.

"The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog" by Dave Barry (Berkeley, $14, 128 pages): The Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist's twisted tale is reissued once again, and we're happier for it. Barry returns to the 1960s to tell how a family's new dog wrecks the church's Christmas play.

"Immoveable Feast" by John Baxter (Harper, $13.95, 288 pages): Bon vivant Baxter, who specializes in biographies of famous directors (Fellini, Spielberg, Lucas), recounts in 28 essays his amusing experiences with Christmases abroad.

"Nothing with Strings" by Bailey White (Scribner, $24, 208 pages): Each year, White contributes a holiday story to NPR's "All Things Considered" show. This collection of 13 tales tells of the accomplishments by extraordinary characters who live in small-town America (just like White herself).

"The Christmas Pearl" by Dorothea Benton Frank (William Morrow, $14.95, 176 pages): In this perennial favorite, matriarch Theodora, 93, is surrounded by troublesome family members during Christmas and is missing her grandmother's housekeeper, Pearl, who took charge of the holidays when Theodora was growing up in the 1920s. Who should show up but Pearl's ghost, once again setting things right.

"Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle (Puffin, $9.99, 400 pages): The trio of authors – who write young-adult fiction – interconnect their stories of chance meetings, destiny, romance and young love in a small-town setting.

"A Wallflower Christmas" by Lisa Kleypas (St. Martin's, $16.95, 224 pages): This historical romance takes readers to England's Regency period, where a young innocent abroad – under pressure from his wealthy father – must choose between love and duty.

"Christmas on Jane Street" by Billy Romp, with Wanda Urbanska (Harper, $12.95, 160 pages): The 10th anniversary edition of the sentimental true story is about the Romps, a family of Christmas tree growers who drive to Greenwich Village, N.Y., each December to sell their wares. Drama unfolds, but reconciliation follows.

Upcoming author events

The Barnes & Noble bookstore in Citrus Heights will host two events; it's at 6111 Sunrise Blvd., (916) 853-1389:

• Jim Brown for "Folsom Prison" (Arcadia, $19.99, 128 pages): Former correctional officer Brown tells the pictures-and-words history of California's second-oldest prison. Event: 1 p.m. Saturday.

• Steven Avella for "Sacramento: Indomitable City" (Arcadia, $24.99, 160 pages): From the distant past to our likely future, historian Avella examines our city.

Event: 1 p.m. Dec. 14.

Book sale ahead

The Sylvan Oaks Library will host a book sale from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. On offer will be hardback and paperback books in all genres, ranging from 25 cents to $5. The library is at 6700 Auburn Blvd., Citrus Heights, (916) 729-6991.

What in the word?

If you're reading this column, chances are good you care about words. Language is a living thing and our vocabularies have pulses, you'll agree. New words come, old words go.

With that in mind, try this:

After having counted the nationwide votes, today the editors of Webster's New World College Dictionary will announce the winner of their 2008 Word of the Year contest.

"We (editors and researchers) surveyed the emerging English of the past year," explained editor-in-chief Michael Agnes, "and chose words or phrases that captured our imaginations – whether with their intrinsic linguistic attributes or by the way they express how language reflects changing realities."

The contenders were:

• "cyberchondriac"

• "leisure sickness"

• "overshare"

• "selective ignorance"

• "youthanasia"

To hear definitions and to find out which word was voted the winner, go to www.newworldword.com.

BORDERS

Hardcover fiction

1. Eclipse – Stephenie Meyer

2. Cross Country – James Patterson

3. Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer

4. New Moon – Stephenie Meyer

5. Twilight – Stephenie Meyer

Hardcover nonfiction

1. Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell

2. You: Being Beautiful – Michael Roizen

3. Too Fat to Fish – Artie Lange

4. The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch

5. American Lion – Jon Meacham

AMAZON.COM

Hardcover fiction

1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling

2. Eclipse – Stephenie Meyer

3. The Twilight Saga: Slipcased – Stephenie Meyer

4. Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer

5. The Christmas Sweater – Glenn Beck

Hardcover nonfiction

1. The Blessed Life: The Simple Secret of Achieving Guaranteed Financial Results – Robert Morris

2. Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell

3. Nature's Beloved Son – Bonnie J. Gisel

4. StrengthsFinder 2.0 – Tom Rath

5. American Lion – Jon Meacham

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS

Hardcover fiction

1. A Mercy – Toni Morrison

2. The Private Patient – P.D. James

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

4. The Hour I First Believed – Wally Lamb

5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski

Hardcover nonfiction

1. Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell

2. Hot, Flat and Crowded – Thomas L. Friedman

3. Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World – Vicki Myron

4. American Lion – Jon Meacham

5. Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics – Ina Garten

Mark Bell lifts at his Super Training Gym in downtown Sacramento early this month. Bell, who set an American bench press record, is also known for his appearance in the documentary "Bigger Stronger Faster."

As a child, Mark Bell acquired the unfortunate, if sometimes accurate, nickname of "Smelly."

He was the shy, fat kid in his upstate New York town, so out of shape by age 11 that he could barely run the length of a football field during Pop Warner tryouts. And, yeah, he was picked on. Neighborhood bullies sought him out.

Then came a bullying incident that transformed Bell's life and body in equal measure, that set him on a career path that included a stint as a professional wrestler and now as a world-class powerlifter, that saw him play a lead role in "Bigger Stronger Faster," a recent documentary about the role of steroid use in athletics.

And it also led Bell to open his dream gym in downtown Sacramento. It's called Super Training, ground zero for serious, no-nonsense lifters in Northern California.

Yes, for all that, Bell can thank some punk kid named Joe Garlup. One day, Bell was tossing around a New York Jets football in a local park when up rode the older dude on his BMX bicycle. Picture it: Garlup, sporting a major mullet and bad attitude, was as chiseled as Bell was puffy. It was 20 degrees out, but Garlup wore a "wife-beater" T-shirt to show off his biceps.

He yanked the ball away from Bell and kicked it well into the woods. The ball was lost, but Bell found a purpose. He began lifting weights with his older brothers, first using Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Workout Set, then more sophisticated apparatus. Every repetition in every set, he thought about Joe Garlup.

Fast-forward five years: Bell, now 15 and 240 pounds of muscle, finds himself at a neighborhood party. There, across the room, is Joe Garlup.

"He barely recognized me," Bell recalls, laughing. "He was like, 'Don't kick my ass, man.' "

Bell took him out, quickly and cleanly.

"Yeah, I got him back pretty good," he says. "It was sweet revenge."

That story aside, don't draw the conclusion that Bell became the bully he once feared. Rather, he has used weight-lifting to build self- esteem and strength – and teach others to do the same.

Though a solid mound of flesh at 6 feet, 310 pounds, Bell, 31 and a father of two who lives in Woodland, is a genial giant. Downright docile, even.

He's open and talkative, quick to chortle and offer an anecdote. When he takes off his black ball cap and rubs the nubs of his black-haired scalp, you get a glimpse of that erstwhile awkward child tormented by the Joe Garlups of the world.

Such is Bell's lack of guile that he is one of the few powerlifters – or athletes in any sport, for that matter – who has acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs. His frankness during interviews in his brother Chris' documentary "Bigger Stronger Faster," which drew critical raves, has raised Bell's profile in the sport.

Actually, his profile was pretty high, anyway. Last month, he set an American record with an 826-pound bench press. He is a two-time winner of the California State Championships in the United Powerlifting Association and will go for a third title Dec. 6 in Concord.

He also is among the top five nationally in a sport that involves the squat, bench press and dead-lift. (Powerlifting is different from the Olympic sport of weightlifting, in that the latter features events such as the clean-and-jerk that require speed, form and strength. Powerlifting is almost strictly strength.)

"It's weird," Bell says. "(People) come up to me and say they've tried (steroids), say it like a confession. People were a lot more understanding than I expected. I haven't had any negative feedback from it.

"It's part of this culture. Even for the fans, they may not want to believe it but they kind of know. The bodies and the strength are so out of proportion. And for people not in (powerlifting), I think the movie opened their eyes and made them think there's more people involved than they thought."

Scott Cartwright, Bell's rival and training partner, said Bell expressed what everyone in the sport already knew.

"It was a message that had to be told," Cartwright says. "Yes, there are side effects and bad things that could happen. But it's like any drug. You can take it and be OK. But you can abuse it and blow yourself up, too."

Randomized studies involving anabolic steroids in humans have not been done for ethical reasons, but anecdotal evidence abounds in the medical community about side effects as harmless as acne and as harmful as stroke and heart attacks. The documentary does give equal time to physicians warning of serious consequences.

It was the athletes' hypocrisy, more than anything, that led Bell to come clean in the documentary and tell of his testosterone use.

"It's better to be upfront about it," he says. "I didn't hesitate because I got sick of hearing athletes say on TV, 'I think it was flaxseed oil I took.' I understand why people don't want to admit it. They've got a lot to lose."

So, too, with Bell.

Which is why he's quick to add that it was a personal decision, and that he neither recommends nor discourages others. He definitely feels teens should not use.

And although he has taken steroids, on and off, since he was 25, Bell says it doesn't define who he is. One misconception about anabolic steroids, both Bell and the documentary emphasize, is that they are completely responsible for his powerlifting prowess.

Bell sees their use as something of a training supplement, an aid to help him log the time and rigorous workouts needed to achieve 800-pound bench presses.

"It's kind of cumulative, gaining strength," Bell says. "With the addition of the drugs, you can kind of steadily move forward."

A visit to the Super Training gym disabuses anyone from the notion that Bell's success is mere chemical enhancement. There is a lot of sweating, straining, grunting, ear-splitting rock music and flying chalk powder involved.

Bell and fellow lifters work hard in an intimate environment it shares with another gym, Midtown Strength and Fitness. Two years ago, Bell realized his dream of opening a gym where lifters worked together to get better.

Their ranks started out with three; now there are 25. At the gym, hardcore, 700-pound bench-pressers and 1,000-pound squatters coexist with mere mortals just trying to gain a measure of strength.

"This is a little Fight Clubish here," Bell says, referring to the Brad Pitt male-bonding movie. "But we have people of all shapes and sizes. We got a guy 155 pounds and a guy 500 pounds. We've got a few women, too. We push each other."

Often, Bell will take a younger lifter under his wing.

"I've been here one year," says Treston Shull, 24, a Bell protégé, "and the kind of gains I've made here would've taken me five years someplace else. That's mainly because of Mark. He'll take an hour out of his own workout to watch and make sure you aren't messing up. He's like a coach to everybody."

Well, not exactly everybody.

Bell has a heated, if friendly, rivalry with Cartwright.

"We get our jabs in at each other," Cartwright says, laughing. "But we also both encourage each other in this environment. It's different in competitions. Then, we both want to win."

Indeed, winning is paramount to Bell. It's what drives him.

"It defines me," he says. I know it really (shouldn't). I'm a husband and dad and I've got other things going on. But I just want to win."

His immediate goal is to bench press 900 pounds in a full competition (which includes squats and dead-lifts). Long term, he's shooting for a world record of 2,700 (combined for all three events) in the 308-pound weight class.

At 31, he's just entering his prime as a powerlifter, so it's possible – if his body doesn't fail him from pushing himself relentlessly.

"I'm in pain all the time, 24 hours a day," Bell says. "It can be bad, sometimes, getting up in the morning. The human body is not supposed to be over 300, so that also takes some wear and tear on you."

And what of the possible long-term bodily wear and tear that testosterone use might wreak? Bell says the same thing he said in the documentary: "Whatever happens from it, happens. I have no regrets."

The only person regretting his actions, it seems, is one Joe Garlup.

Mark Bell - 826 pound Bench Press

Mark Bell lifts at his Super Training Gym in downtown Sacramento early this month. Bell, who set an American bench press record, is also known for his appearance in the documentary "Bigger Stronger Faster."
Mark Bell loads 45- pound discs onto the bar. He's known for intense workouts.

D. ROSS CAMERON Oakland Tribune Chad Worthen won this year's San Francisco Marathon with a time of 2:31:59.

Residence: Sacramento

Age: 35

Who is he? A former U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying marathoner and winner of the 2008 San Francisco Marathon. Coaches the Nike Fleet Feet Racing Sacramento team and also the Roseville Express TC Track and Cross Country youth team. Wife, Stacey, also is a distance runner. Has two children (daughter Chase, 10; son Miles, 7).

• Pre-workout routine: "I run in both the mornings and afternoons, depending on the day ... so my pre-workout routine varies. Mornings, I will eat half a bagel with a little butter and half a glass of iced tea before I go out. I have never been someone who can have a lot in my stomach when I run.

"During the week, I usually run about 4 p.m., so for lunch at about 11:30 a.m., I eat a sandwich and a piece of fruit, usually a banana. Then I will have some type of healthy snack bar about 2:30 or so, and that's it. I never eat fast food or drink soda before I run."

• Typical training week: "It varies. My mileage usually ranges from about 70 miles per week up to 140 miles per week, depending on where I am in a training cycle. The type of workouts also varies. If I am in a specific marathon cycle, then my workouts might have more runs at goal marathon pace. If I am getting ready for a 5K, then it might be a bit faster." (See below for a typical week.)

• Importance of speed work for a marathoner: "I believe that runners that run slow all the time will remain slower-type runners. Throwing in those harder quality-type workouts is very beneficial. There are a lot of people out there who want to just run a marathon, so they just go out on the weekend and try and run 20 miles to get ready.

"Long runs are very important, but that's just one piece of the puzzle. I get questions all the time from my team about length of the long run, how many long runs, when are we doing the long run. But I tell them that is just one element. We need to slowly build up the weekly mileage and have track workouts – tempo workouts, fartleks (Swedish for speed play), work on hitting the goal marathon pace.

"But it's all really about consistency. I personally train year-round, and that's really been the key to my development. I don't feel I started with a lot of natural ability, only the talent to be able to work hard and keep it going for years of consistency."

• Favorite supplemental exercise: "I don't know if it's a favorite, more of a necessary evil, but I do pushups and crunches as part of my training."

• Should marathoners do weight training? "I don't feel that distance runners really need to get out and weight train, but I do feel that they need some strength. If you put on weight with your lifting, then it's counterproductive. I emphasize just a short routine of core work and pushups."

• Favorite gadget: "I've never really been much into gadgets for my running. OK, I did live in an altitude tent for a year and a half, but besides that, not much. About the only thing I have really been into is a watch. It's funny. I always thought having a GPS watch was useless – until a friend gave me one earlier this year. Not only do I love it, but now I had to go out and get the latest model. It's a great tool. It's almost like cheating because it can tell me my pace at anytime, and in those first few miles of a longer race, like a marathon, that can be really important so you don't go out too hard."

• Motivation on slothful days: "On those days I have a tough time getting out the door, I have to really think about my goals. I have little contests with myself. Right now, I have a running 'streak' going. I have run every day for the past 13 months – 4 miles minimum. So that helps me get out there, too."

• Worst injuries: "A lower back injury that came on in early 2003, which I think I did while landscaping my backyard while running high mileage. That one took about a year to finally diagnose properly as two herniated discs and one bulging. I received three injections in my lower back as well as lots of physical therapy and strengthening on my own.

"My other injury that was real bad was plantar fasciitis for 14 months in 2006-07. This one almost made me give up the sport for good. I tried everything to fix it. I tried the icing, the golf ball, the frozen water bottle, the strengthening, the stretching, the shoes, the inserts, the physical therapy, the time off. I finally got custom orthotics, and that cured my problem. It may not be the cure for everyone, but it sure worked for me."

– Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

This schedule will help first-time marathoners prepare for the 26th California International Marathon, from Folsom to Sacramento, on Dec. 7.

Rich Hanna, a local running impresario and ultramarathoner, devised the plan. It can be seen in full at www.sacbee.com/1140.

WEEK 18

• Today: 8-10 miles

• Monday: 3-4 miles

• Tuesday: off

• Wednesday: 4 miles

• Thursday: 3 miles

• Friday: off

• Saturday: 0-2 miles

• Total: 18-23 miles

Sunday, Dec. 7: California International Marathon. Good luck!

We've seen some hillside salt licks with less sodium than many fast-food establishments. But last week, Burger King announced it is reducing the amount of sodium in its kids meals to 600 milligrams or less. In that spirit, we're dedicating this week's quiz to all things sodium.

1. According to the American Heart Association, the average adult should consume how many milligrams of sodium per day:

a) 600

b) 2,300

c) 10,000

2. How much more sodium does an ounce of Triscuit crackers have compared with the "low sodium" Triscuits?

a) 95 milligrams

b) 72 milligrams

c) 4 milligrams

3. If you're trying to limit sodium intake, which salty snack food is your best bet:

a) Rold Gold Classic Style Pretzels

b) Nabisco Original Premium Saltine Saltime Crackers

c) Lay's Potato Chips

4. True or false? Sea salt has a lower sodium level than table salt because it is natural.

5. Which has the highest sodium level:

a) 1 cup of cottage cheese

b) 1 slice of American cheese

c) 8 ounces of yogurt

6. How much sodium is in 1 teaspoon of table salt:

a) 1,087 milligrams

b) 2,300 milligrams

c) 5,133 milligrams

ANSWERS: 1: b; 2: a; 3: c (pretzels, 560 mg; crackers, 380; potato chips, 180); 4: false (it's the same amount of sodium); 5: a (cottage, 420 mg; American, 300 mg; yogurt, 160 mg); 6: b.

Sources: USDA, Center for Science in the Public Interest

– Sam McManis

smcmanis@sacbee.com

Monday

• What: El Dorado Hills Community Blood Drive

Where: Community Services District Pavilions Building, 1021 Harvard Way, El Dorado Hills

When: 2-7 p.m.

Cost: Free

To register: (916) 933-3679

Tuesday

• What: Healthy Heart class

Where: 6555 Coyle Ave., Room 140, Carmichael

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cost: Free

To register: (916) 537-5296

• What: Family/Caregivers of Cancer Patients Support Group

Where: Sutter Cancer Center, 2800 L St., Suite 430, Sacramento

When: 6-7:30 p.m. (every Tuesday)

Cost: Free

To register: (916) 454-6866

Wednesday

• What: Shingle Springs Community Blood Drive

Where: Elks Lodge, 3821 Quest Court, Shingle Springs

When: 3-7 p.m.

Cost: Free

To register: (530) 621-3212

Friday

• What: Mercy Folsom Hospital Community Blood Drive

Where: Mercy Folsom Hospital, 1650 Creekside Drive, Folsom

When: Noon to 4 p.m.

Cost: Free

To register: (916) 983-7472

• What: Bodhi: "Dance Chant"

Where: Sacramento Yoga Center, 2791 24th St., Sacramento

When: 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $12

To register: (916) 491-6792

Saturday

• What: ZD Wines presents "Season of Giving," in which it will donate 50 percent of December retail proceeds to the UC Davis deLeuze Family Endowment for a Non-Toxic Cure for Lymphoma. The winery will release its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon at this event.

Where: ZD Wines, 8383 Silverado Trail, Napa

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: $15

To register: (800) 487-1801

"This isn't the way my old doctor treated me," Kevin said as he stood at the nursing station. "He always gave me free samples of my medicine."

Kevin, who has emphysema, high blood pressure and mild heart disease, estimates he spends about $180 a month on medicines. He isn't alone in feeling a bit abandoned, leaving the office without any free samples. But believe it or not, by not giving free samples, doctors are making a good decision based on the patient's best interest.

The way the doctor got the samples in the first place was to agree to sit and listen to a drug salesperson – more often than not, someone with little or no medical training – pitch a new, poorly studied but FDA-approved drug.

In exchange for free samples, a free lunch and perhaps some tickets to a sporting event, the doctor agreed to try the new medicine with his patients.

But those free samples were 99 percent paper, marketing and hype. Packages often contained one or two free pills in a large bottle otherwise stuffed with cotton.

As your parents used to tell you, they weren't really free. Salespeople only provide free samples for new drugs – drugs they are pushing hard.

These pills rarely provide an advantage over older, safer drugs whose effects are better known. So while the first three to five pills of your new prescription seemed free, the cost was recovered in the high prices companies charged for the new prescription. In fact, this type of promotion only serves to raise drug prices.

In many parts of the country, more than 90 percent of doctors still provide free samples, but not here in California. Kaiser was the first to prohibit free samples, and UC Davis and many others now also prohibit their use.

Studies show that without these samples, doctors are three times more likely to prescribe generic drugs. These generics are usually as good, and often better, than the newer drugs being heavily pushed.

In the past couple of years, there have been problems with a number of new medicines, all of which were heavily promoted over cheaper, more effective and safer generic alternatives.

Other studies show that patients who are given free samples end up paying substantially more for medicines than those who are not given free samples.

When drug costs are at an all-time high and people are desperate to make economic ends meet, the last thing we need to do is increase the price people pay for drugs without adding any benefit.

High prices can only lead to more people not filling their prescriptions or skipping doses to save money. It seems clear that these samples do more harm than good by enticing doctors to prescribe expensive medicines that offer no advantage.

DEAR CAROLYN: I work in a relatively small office, and one co-worker keeps a large supply of candy on hand. Typically she has a container at her desk and people can help themselves. However, several times a year, she fills an enormous basket with candy and places it along a common walkway – which everyone passes many times a day.

I know you are thinking: And the problem is ... ? The basket appears after several of us commit to follow a diet. It has happened often enough through the years for us to draw a correlation. We know the simple answer is not to take any candy; however, it has begun to grate on our nerves that "Patty" is doing this deliberately. Can we ask her to remove the basket? Should we go to our supervisor? Should we just get a life?

– Candy Philanthropist Or Saboteur?

DEAR CANDY: Option 3 is calling to me, like a basket of bonbons.

It's easy to advocate just talking to Patty, especially when going over her head is your next solution in line. But there's no point in hurting her feelings (or renewing her dedication to sabotage) when there's an easy fourth option – one that doesn't involve Patty-control, but self-control instead.

Skip the candy, duh, of course. But more important: Put the group-dieting idea out of its misery for good.

For one thing, it clearly isn't working. People maintaining healthy weights don't launch group diets with such frequency that behavior patterns emerge – as in, "often enough through the years for us to draw a correlation." Then there's the matter of exclusion. Whenever "several of us" launch a group diet, the remaining colleagues become witnesses to, without opportunity to participate in, a public bonding moment. That is the whole point of a group diet, after all – to support each other toward a common goal. But your office also has a common goal of getting a job done, a goal that cliquishness undermines.

A large office might be able to absorb any number of social subgroups, but in small offices, exclusivity is a morale buster far more serious than some inanimate basket of candy. Simple answer: Summon the willpower to resist clusters of both the social and caramel kind.

DEAR CAROLYN: I have an old friend who's in a very busy time of her life. I've been having some rough times and could have used the support of a good friend in recent months, but she's always been too busy. While she has legitimate demands on her time, I haven't seen her in more than four months, and we live less than four blocks apart.

Now she wants to reconnect. Am I wrong to expect some sort of apology for her lack of commitment to our friendship?

– D.C.

DEAR D.C.: To expect one, yes. To ask for one, no.

If you wait to see if she says the right thing, then you're basically setting her up (and you'd be the one owing her an apology).

If instead you tell her what you're upset about and why, then you'll have been a good friend to her, by being honest. Her response will tell you whether she's a good friend to you. She may be not only apologetic, but also grateful for the chance to do better by you.

Using a heart rate monitor can help with a workout program, but physiologists say it is important to understand the limitations of these devices.

The monitors measure heart rate accurately. To guide exercise programs, they typically establish training zones set as a percentage of the user's maximum heart rate – 60 percent to 70 percent for basic fitness, for example, 70 percent to 80 percent for improving aerobic endurance – or employ other protocols based at least partly on heart rate.

Establishing maximum heart rate is the ticklish part. Everyone has his or her own: a genetically determined "speed limit" that declines slightly with age. It can be measured in a lab but otherwise can only be estimated.

There are several common formulas for making that estimation, one being 220 minus your age. A monitor that you buy might use that or some other formula.

But for any individual, it is quite likely wrong, by as much as plus or minus 12 beats per minute, according to Mitchell Whaley, dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at Ball State University.

That means the zones set up by a monitor might push you too hard or not hard enough.

It is therefore important to take it easy at first. See if the zones set by the monitor square with how you feel.

Working out at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate should seem fairly easy; does it? Does 75 percent feel invigorating or leave you gasping?

Typically, you can change the maximum heart rate calculated automatically by the monitor.

After a few workouts, you should have a sense of whether you need to move it up or down a few beats.

Hunter Todd, 16, trains near Beal's Point in Granite Bay. Todd will compete in the XTERRA world trail championships in Hawaii.

Using the heart as a metaphor for desire, for spirit and determination against long odds, has become clichéd to the point where it's lost impact.

Only when meeting a teenager like Hunter Todd of Roseville does the phrase "This kid's got heart" actually hold true meaning.

Born with a hole in his heart as a result of a rare congenital condition called tetralogy of Fallot, Todd underwent six surgeries by age 5, including a procedure to have a valve implanted to help regulate blood flow.

Now 16 and a sophomore at Oakmont High School in Roseville, Todd lives like any other suburban teen – hanging with his friends, riding his longboard around town, strumming his guitar and raking the leaves when Dad makes him.

But get this: Todd also is an award-winning trail runner, having won the silver medal in the 2007 XTERRA trail run in the 19-and-under category. This year, he won his age group at the 49er 10-mile trail run in Auburn and the Point Mugu 11-mile trail run.

That was good enough to qualify Todd for the XTERRA trail racing world championships on Dec. 7 in Hawaii.

Yeah, this kid really does have heart, given his early medical obstacles.

According to the National Institutes of Health, tetralogy of Fallot occurs in only five of 10,000 babies. And its severity, Sutter pediatric cardiologist Dr. Gregory Janos says, spans from minimal blockage and few restrictions later in life to severe blockage that requires significant modification of activity.

Todd's case falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Though his cardiologist declined to be interviewed, Todd's father, Terry, says that his son has been given clearance to exercise as long as his heart rate remains at about 145 beats per minute, approximately 75 percent of his aerobic capacity.

Terry Todd, who runs alongside Hunter at every race, admits to being torn between the typical parental concern about keeping his son safe and letting him follow his joy on the trails.

"We certainly don't push it," Terry says. "We follow the doctor's orders. Basically, our doctors have always said that it's based on how Hunter feels. Whatever he's feeling is what we do."

And what Hunter has felt like doing, since age 10, is trail running. He started out competing in shorter duathlons and runs sponsored by Total Body Fitness in Rocklin, then went off road and into nature for his first XTERRA race in 2006. It was only a three-mile race, but he won his age group.

His success caught the eye of Mark Shaw, a triathlon impresario at Total Body Fitness, which now sponsors Todd in races.

"Based on Hunter's 'quote- unquote' limitations with his heart, what he's been able to do is, in a sense, greater than a kid with supposedly no 'limitations,'" Shaw says. "I've known him for seven years, and it's great to see how he's developed."

Todd is modest about his victories – though his father has hung the medals in the hallway of the family's Roseville home.

Winning races, he says, is "pretty awesome. There are a lot of hills (in XTERRA), and you get to do crazy stuff like going over cliffs that are maybe two feet wide. There are some hard courses to put your body through."

That was only the beginning, though. For the last 20 weeks, Hunter and his father have spent every weekend on the trails for at least three hours at a time. They've become quite familiar with the American River 50 (mile) and the Western States 100 courses.

"But we take our time and don't push it," Terry says. "We walk on all the uphills. It's been a progressive and slow build."

Exercising caution is prudent, Terry says. Recently, in addition to Hunter's yearly visit with his cardiologist, he traveled to UC San Francisco Medical Center for a battery of tests, ranging from treadmill stress tests to 24-hour heart-rate monitoring. Father and son also managed to work in a long training run on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County before heading in for an MRI.

Janos, the Sutter cardiologist, says doctors have become more "liberalized" about allowing tetralogy of Fallot patients to participate in activities.

"We've gotten smarter that way over the years and seen more of these kids get older, so we can see what they can and can't do," he says. "Frankly, we were a little bit protective. And now we feel by getting kids involved and active, it helps.

"The worst thing you want in a child who's got a residual heart disease is to be overweight and out of shape. When they get to be an adult, what was one problem is now three problems."

Todd's attitude has always been: Problem? What problem?

"I wouldn't have known the difference (in my heart) if they hadn't told me," he says.

After next week's world championships, Todd says he's thinking of giving up trail running. But it has nothing to do with his heart.

"I want to try mountain biking," he says.

Terry Todd, walking with his son, is torn between keeping Hunter safe and letting him follow his passion. "We certainly don't push it. ... Basically, our doctors have always said that it's based on how Hunter feels. Whatever he's feeling is what we do."

My husband, Richard, smoked cigarettes for 50 years, having failed in several attempts to quit on his own. When a friend told him in August 1994 that hypnosis had enabled her to quit, he decided to give it a try.

"It didn't work. I wasn't hypnotized," he declared after his one and only session. But it did work; since that day, he has not taken one puff of a cigarette.

Gloria Kanter of Boynton Beach, Fla., thought her attempt in 1985 to use hypnosis to overcome her fear of flying had failed.

"When the therapist brought me out, I said it didn't work," she recalled in an interview. "I told her, 'I heard everything you said.' "

Nonetheless, the next time she and her husband headed for the airport, she was not drenched in sweat and paralyzed with fear. "I was just fine," she said, "and I've been fine ever since."

Like many others whose knowledge of hypnotism comes from movies and stage shows, my husband and Kanter misunderstood what hypnosis is all about. While in a hypnotic trance, you are neither unconscious nor asleep but rather in a deeply relaxed state that renders the mind highly focused and ready to accept suggestions to help you accomplish your goals.

Hypnosis has been mired in controversy for two centuries, and its benefits are often overstated. It does not help everyone who wants to quit smoking, for example; then again, neither do other kinds of treatments.

And the patient's attitude is critical. In the words of Brian Alman, a psychologist who practices hypnosis in San Diego, "The power of hypnosis actually resides in the patient and not in the doctor."

Roberta Temes, a clinical hypnotist in Scotch Plains, N.J., insists that hypnosis cannot make people do anything they don't want to do.

Hypnosis can succeed only in helping people make changes they desire, she said in an interview.

In her book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hypnosis," Temes points out that success in achieving your goal is the best proof that you were really hypnotized. She also suggests a second or third session if you didn't quite reach your goal after the first try.

Mind-body medicine

In effect, hypnosis is the epitome of mind-body medicine. It can enable the mind to tell the body how to react, and modify the messages that the body sends to the mind.

It has been used to counter the nausea of pregnancy and chemotherapy; dental and test-taking anxiety; pain associated with surgery, root-canal treatment and childbirth; fear of flying and public speaking; compulsive hair-pulling; and intractable hiccups, among many other troublesome health problems.

Writing in the Permanente Journal in 2001, Alman said that "useful potential" for benefiting from hypnosis "exists within each patient."

"The goal of modern medical hypnosis," he said, "is to help patients use this unconscious potential."

Alman described a 65-year-old concentration camp survivor who repeatedly choked when she tried to swallow, though examinations of her esophagus revealed no obstruction. After three hypnotherapy sessions, her problem was solved.

"I was liberated from my esophagus," the patient said.

Therapy by CD, over the phone

You may not even have to be face to face with a hypnotist to benefit medically. Temes said hypnosis could be helpful even if done with a CD or by telephone, which she offers as part of her practice. She said many helpful CDs could be found through the Web site www.hypnosisnetwork.com.

Ellen Fineman, a physical therapist in Portland, Ore., had had five surgeries to repair a retina that kept detaching. Hoping that a sixth attempt would hold, she used a hypnosis tape prepared by Temes for patients undergoing surgery.

The tape "was very calming and reassuring," Fineman said in an interview. "It told me that I would be in the hands of professionals who would take good care of me and that I'd have minimal swelling. This time the surgery went superbly – no inflammation, no swelling and no more detachment. The surgeon was amazed and asked what I had done differently this time."

As with any other profession, some hypnotherapists are more talented than others. Temes suggests that word of mouth may be the best way to find someone practiced in hypnosis for the kind of problem you're trying to solve. Also helpful is the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, at www.asch.net, which maintains a referral list of therapists, both certified and not, by location and specialty.

While not everyone is easily hypnotized, nearly everyone can slip into a therapeutic trance, Temes maintains. Another of her patients, Dr. Susan Clarvit, a New York psychiatrist, thought she could not be hypnotized – she was too scientific, too rational a person, she said.

"But I was desperate," Clarvit said in an interview. "I was pregnant with my second child and too nauseated to be alive. Dr. Temes asked me what I held most often, and I said a pen. She hypnotized me so that when I held a pen, I had an overall feeling of wellness. I held a pen all the time, even while driving, and didn't feel nauseated."

Under hypnosis, Clarvit was given a posthypnotic suggestion that linked holding a pen to feeling well. Such suggestions enable people to practice a new, desired behavior after being brought out of the trance.

Someone trying to overcome snacking on sweets might be told, "When you are hungry, you will eat vegetables."

The suggestion to a smoker might be "you will drink water when you want a cigarette," and someone terrified of public speaking might be told "you will do deep breathing when you feel scared."

If you have questions about the practices of your managed-care coverage, ask the experts at the state Department of Managed Health Care. They take up issues ranging from difficulties getting an appointment to the denial of a doctor's recommendation for treatment.

I believe that a customer sales agent misrepresented my financial responsibility when I signed up with my PPO.

I was told that there would be no out-of-pocket expenses once my $2,500 deductible had been met. After I met my deductible this year, I received additional bills totaling $5,000.

If I had known that I would have to pay this much out of pocket, I would never have chosen this product. I think my health plan should pay all my claims above the $2,500 deductible as I had been led to believe it would.

– Norma Reagan, Sacramento

Health plans are required to provide a document called an Evidence of Coverage, explaining all rules, procedures, processes, exclusions and limitations for each health care policy.

Consumers are responsible for reading and understanding this information before deciding to purchase a policy.

If, after reading the Evidence of Coverage, you have questions or concerns, you may ask the agent to explain further, or you may either decline to purchase that policy or cancel it (in your case, within 10 days).

Consumers do have protections under the law, but they also bear the responsibility of reviewing the policy in detail before signing a contract. The health plan is not responsible for any misunderstanding.

According to your health plan, you purchased an Individual PPO Share $2,500 Plan. This particular plan requires that you pay the first $2,500 of your medical costs each year before your health plan will start to pay any medical benefits.

Even after you have paid your annual deductible, your plan requires co-payments or co-insurance for any services you receive, up to an out-of-pocket maximum of $5,000 a year.

Such high-deductible policies are becoming more common. Although it may sound expensive, the deductible and out-of-pocket limits help to lower monthly premiums.

These plans are generally marketed to those who are healthy and do not expect to need a lot of medical care. They may not be a good deal if you require a lot of care.

If you want help choosing the health plan that is right for you, consult the Office of the Patient Advocate's Web site to see how health plans measure up.

The office's 2009 Health Care Quality Report Card has just been released. View it at www.opa.ca.gov or call the DMHC, toll-free, at (888) 466-2219 for assistance.

"Couturians: An Evening of Illustrious Fashion" will feature 11 local designers. From left (standing): Trisha Rhomberg, Monte Christo, Lacadia Olsen, Tomicko Abella; (sitting) Steven Willey, Dee Aguilar, Mercedes Ben, Lauren Oto, Richard Hallmarq; (foreground) William Vittore and Kai Vittore.

Sacramento is in full-blown holiday mode, and fashion plays a big, big role in the festivities.

For parties and galas, we wrap ourselves in fancy fabrics – satin, velvet, etc. – and wedge our tootsies into stilettos and boots that aren't necessarily made for walking.

However, if your holiday closet needs a little oomph, a fashion show next Friday night offers ideas and the opportunity to actually buy something right off the runway.

Local designers will participate in the "Couturians: An Evening of Illustrious Fashion." This is the fourth annual holiday show, and it's grown from five designers to six (2006, 2007) to 11 this year.

One of them, Richard Hallmarq, has participated in every show. He says the annual fashion fest has been a sellout every year, and he anticipates the same on Dec. 5.

"All 11 of us will be putting our best foot forward to show off our collections," Hallmarq says. "What you'll see, however, are 11 different spins on holiday fashions."

The designers will be working with local salons on their models' hair and makeup. And each gets a 10-minute runway presentation.

Afterward, there will be a trunk show where attendees will have the opportunity to peruse the collections – even buy on the spot.

TV personality Bobby Trendy will host; music is being spun by DJ Shaun Slaughter.

The show will take place at midtown's Faces nightclub, 2000 K St. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show starts at 8.

Let's meet the designers:

Tomicko Abella

Age: 38 From: Sacramento

Day job: Works for Apple Computer Inc.

Design experience: Six years

Inspiration for her collection: "My collection is inspired by 1940s and '50s Hollywood glamour but for a modern-day silhouette. It's both luxurious and edgy. Everything is handmade using a variety of fabrics, including silks and wools and a combination of vintage tulle, slips and lace."

Her favorite things for holiday? "A vintage rhinestone bracelet and necklace given to me by my grandmother. And I love a little black dress."

Dee Aguilar

Age: 25

From: Natomas

Day job: FPI Management Inc. in Folsom

Design experience: Five years

Inspiration for her collection: "I named my collection 'Ice Baby's.' The inspiration comes from a cold, frosted winter night. I'm mixing chiffons and silks with a little bit of knit to keep warm. I went with winter white, arctic blue and silver – intense and cool."

Her favorite things for holiday? "I love winter! It's a fun time to get your hats on because they're very functional, fun and affordable. My favorite is the Juicy Couture wool newsboy beret."

Mercedes Ben

Age: 26

From: Sacramento

Day job: Student at California State University, Sacramento. She's also expecting her first child in a couple of months.

Design experience: Designing since age 14. She's participated in more than 15 shows.

Inspiration for her collection: "Benzo Couture is designed for young ladies and women who use their everyday life as a runway. The 'Midnight Starlet' collection is a mix of dark colors and sparkle. It combines elegance with ready-to-wear for the holidays."

Her favorite things for holiday? "I love setting off any holiday outfit with a pair of sexy diamond-studded heels and a clutch, which make a simple dress instantly glamorous."

Monte Christo

Age: 25

From: Sacramento

Day job: Visual manager for Guess Inc. retail

Design experience: Nine years ("Gosh, it seems like forever!")

Inspiration for his collection: "This collection was inspired by New York City, in particular its architecture and vibrant colors. That's why the cuts and silhouettes are both sharp and simple. I love it because it's very uptown, high fashion streetwear. It's like Audrey Hepburn meets Lil' Kim."

His favorite things for holiday? "My vintage bomber jacket and pitch-black sunglasses."

Richard Hallmarq

Age: 36

From: Sacramento

Day job: Full-time designer

Design experience: Four years

Inspiration for his collection: "My collection is inspired by the legacy of the late Leigh Bowery, who was an Australian performance artist and actor. It doesn't push the envelope, it opens boxes."

His favorite things for holiday? "A pair of Chanel sunglasses given to me six year ago at Christmas by a very special friend."

Lacadia Olsen

Age: 28

From: Sacramento

Day job: Owner and buyer of Cuffs Urban Apparel on J Street, which sells both new and vintage clothing and accessories.

Design experience: Four years

Inspiration for her collection: "I'm inspired by fabrics and patterns, especially geometrics that remain feminine. I also love art deco furniture and architecture. I've applied some of those shapes and fabrics in both dark and jewel tones."

Her favorite things for holiday? "I love that you can wear at least 10 things from your closet – all at once! Boots, socks, tights, a skirt, tee, vest, scarf and hat. Mixing all these pieces is super fun."

Lauren Oto

Age: 24

From: Sacramento

Day job: Server/bartender/student and "full-time mommy"

Design experience: Graduated from CSUS with a degree in communications; will graduate in December from the International Academy of Design and Technology in Natomas in fashion design and marketing.

Inspiration for her collection: "Fall and winter are my favorite seasons. This is my first fashion collection, and my inspiration is my son, Jaylen Allan, who is 3."

Her favorite things for holiday: "I'm mostly like seen in tennis shoes and jeans, but when it gets cold, boots are my favorite, especially with jeans, leggings, dresses and skirts."

Trisha Rhomberg

Age: 27

From: Sacramento

Day job: Co-owner of Bows & Arrows boutique in midtown (1712 L St.)

Design experience: Six years

Inspiration for her collection: "I have been silk-screening, reconstructing and performing life- saving maneuvers on castaway clothes for six years. This year, I'm really inspired by black-and-white illustration, especially children's stories and coloring books from the 1970s. Combining function with fantasy is my dream, so my dresses are one-of-a-kind."

Her favorite things for holiday?

"Christmas socks! And my polar bear boots, which were made by Eskimos in the 1960s."

Kai and William Vittore (Vittore Bros.)

Age: Kai is 27; William is 23

From: Rio Linda

Design experience: Two years

Inspiration for their collection: "Everyday people inspire us. We used to sell only tees with our art and designs. This show, we really grew. It's a step up for street-wear. We're doing sweaters, thermals and hoodies. Our prints are more refined, and our pieces look great with jeans."

Their favorite things for holiday? "Sweatpants and house slippers on Thanksgiving and the day after, because you know we do work on that bird!"

Steven Willey

Age: 35

From: Sacramento

Day job: Sutter Hospital patient advocate

Design experience: Four years

Inspiration for his collection: "Stevie Nicks meets Studio 54."

His favorite things for holiday? "My extra long, long scarf – like six feet. It can get sort of hazardous. I almost strangled myself, but it's still worth it."

For years, Wanita Zimmerman told people that when she turned 85, she was going to jump out of a plane. So she did.

"I say, strap me to a good-looking guy, and I'll jump out of anything," says Zimmerman, an Elk Grove resident who celebrated her 85th birthday last weekend with a tandem sky dive in Lodi.

"I had a great time. I'd do it again in a minute."

When we asked you to tell us about the robust elderly – people 70 and older who are active and healthy – we knew we'd learn about a whole lot of energetic people who approach aging with vigor and grace.

We didn't expect to learn about Zimmerman, a widow and retired church secretary whose 65-year-old son took the sky-diving plunge at the same time she did, though her significant other, Robert Nash, 79, declined.

"He's just a kid," says Zimmerman. "Somebody at my church says to me, 'You're kind of robbing the cradle.' "

She and Nash drove to the East Coast and back last summer. They walk a couple of miles each day, and they play bingo.

"We're very active," she says.

So is Elsie McLean, who lives in Chico and plays golf three times a week.

"Oh, sure!" she says. "I play 18 holes every time, and I've been doing it for more than 70 years."

She made a hole in one last year on her 103rd birthday.

"People tell me I'm an inspiration," McLean says. "When you live this long, you have to be. I'm always happy, and I love people. And they seem to love me, so it all works out."

According to U.S. Census reports, the growth rate of the number of people older than 85 in the Sacramento region is already more than triple that of other age groups. And the number of the "oldest old" is expected to boom even more over the next few decades.

We may as well get used to the idea that robust and active aging involves taking care of ourselves now – and being prepared to continue doing so for the rest of our lives.

Lynn Persano is only 70, but she's already dedicated to the concept of better aging through exercise.

"I did a spinning class this morning," says Persano, a retired speech pathologist who lives in Elk Grove. "And I swam a mile. I just got off the golf course. I did 18 holes of golf."

That sounds kind of exhausting, actually. But there's more: Persano has power-walked four marathons and numerous half-marathons. She backpacks and kayaks in Alaska, where her grandchildren live. She loves to read and knit. Her husband, Louis, 75, works out, too.

"There's a whole group of us who do this," says Persano. "We want to live long enough to see our grandchildren graduate from high school, and we want to be mentally alert the whole time."

In Sacramento's Greenhaven neighborhood, Florence and Stan Quon credit staying active with helping them recover from their respective bouts with cancer.

"We play tennis," says Stan Quon, 76, an adjunct professor in accounting at Sacramento City College. "We were out there playing just this morning."

Mostly, he wants to brag about his wife, who at 83 hits the tennis court five days a week and beats men a decade younger than she is, he says.

"Right now, she's outside cleaning the pool," he says.

You make her work?

"She still climbs on the roof to clean the rain gutters," he says.

La Vern Gough-Guice still works, too. She retired in 2000 from the VA Medical Center at Mather Regional Park but now works three part-time jobs, ushering at Raley Field, Arco Arena and the Sacramento Convention Center.

She also takes piano lessons and works out with a personal trainer.

"I want to stay busy," says Gough-Guice, 70, who lives in North Natomas. "I like to socialize and be with people. Life is short. I've got a lot of stuff I want to get done. ...

"I want to stay healthy, and being active helps."

When Karen and Guy Anderson of Gold River discovered that – despite being strong and active – they lacked flexibility and balance, they started taking yoga together.

"I take responsibility for Guy's activities, simply because I got him started," says Karen Anderson, 65, who owns a swimming pool business. "You kind of have to prod these men. But he's terrific."

After Guy, now 76, retired from teaching, he continued coaching baseball. He also plays in a seniors softball league, and he and Karen bike.

"We really are active," she says.

This should accompany Anita Creamer's SPRY story which runs Friday in the Style section. This runs online only.

Bowling, hiking and cycling don't stop at age 80 We weren't able to fit all the responses we received in the newspaper story, so here are a few more examples of the active elderly in the Sacramento region:

At 90, Marjorie Snyder of Auburn says she has made a comeback from shoulder surgery a few years ago. Good thing, too: She's a lifelong bowler, and she missed her favorite sport. "My dream was to again have a 200 game and a 500 series," Snyder says. "Two weeks ago, I hit the jackpot, doing both on the same day. Life can be beautiful!"

At Sun City Roseville, Sherry Bleiweiss wants to brag about the physical fitness of her fellow bicycle club members. "We have 140 members, at least 40 of whom ride daily between 15 and 20 miles at healthy speeds," says Bleiweiss, 66. "We have 80-year-olds riding with knee replacements, hip replacements and pacemakers. "Their mood is always upbeat, which can be attributed to daily exercise. This is the healthiest group of active seniors you will find anywhere."

Now 80, Charlotte Posch relocated to Citrus Heights from Wisconsin a decade ago, says her daughter, Renee Rosell. "Along with taking care of her home and yard, she works at least one day a week as a volunteer at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, attends three seniors dance classes a week and manages to find time to attend a weekly fitness class," Rosell says. "She's one of my favorite people, along with being my best friend."

Maybe there's something about life in the foothills that promotes fitness and good health. From Cool, Carole Wade points out that growing old today is far different than in decades past. "Whenever my significant other and I (ages 76 and 67 respectively) see references to people our age as elderly, we're brought up short because we don't see our lives that way," she says. Not only are they physically active, hiking, biking and riding horses. Also, says Wade: "We love our computers and iPods, and we're not alone. My 83-year-old aunt just e-mailed me about her new Facebook page." -- Anita Creamer

DEAR SHOPPING: I am looking for budget-priced, plus-size maternity clothes for my daughter. At most department stores, maternity clothing goes up to an extra large but no further. – Karen, Citrus Heights

DEAR KAREN: I checked with Avenue, which is a national plus-size retail store that sells sizes 14 to 32. (For store locations, go to Avenue.com .) A spokeswoman said that although the chain doesn't carry a maternity line, there are tops and bottoms that could be used throughout your daughter's pregnancy. She might need to buy a size up.

Another place to check is Plusmaternityclothesetc. com. It offers plenty of markdowns on apparel. Motherhood Maternity's outlet store in the Folsom Premium Outlets is worth a try, too. This store goes up to a 3X, and a sales associate says the collection is well-stocked, with its own space in the store. You can shop Motherhood online at www.motherhood.com.

DEAR SHOPPING: Do you know if I can still purchase Clinique's lipstick in Dipped Brown Sugar?

– Ann, Lincoln

DEAR ANN: I contacted Clinique and was told that shade is no longer available because it was a limited-edition item. The recommended substitute – if you want to stick with Clinique – is Gold Spun in the Long Last Glosswear collection.

Shu Uemura's Art of Hair line is an exclusive for Mosaic Salon & Spa. In addition to styling products, the hair-care line (shown left) includes three formulations: Full Shimmer (red bottle for natural and color-treated hair), Moisture Velvet (gold bottle, dry hair) and Silk Bloom (green bottle for damaged hair). There's shampoo, conditioner and a treatment product that you leave on for five to 10 minutes, then rinse. The products contain special nutrients, including musk rose oil, camellia oil and argan oil. Prices range from $34 to $50, but they last.

It's all about teamwork.

Indeed, Patrick Ludlow and Todd Buckley, the new owners of Mosaic Salon & Spa in midtown, will combine Ludlow's passion for his craft as a stylist and educator with Buckley's business sense as they map a plan to grow their new venture.

With 12 years' experience between them, Ludlow, 30, and Buckley, 31, are ambitious enough to dream big (not big hair!), with goals to remodel the existing salon and, hopefully, open another – or more.

Ludlow and Buckley sealed the deal Oct. 1, taking over Mosaic from longtime owner J.C. Allen.

We sat down with the new owners to find out more about their plans and why Sacramentans (both men and women) appreciate the perfect coif.

Almost two months into your venture, what's the short-term plan?

Buckley: Definitely to grow the business. That includes the aforementioned remodel and building the staff. We also want to do more community outreach, and we want people to know about our customer service. Ludlow: As an educator, I'll be more involved with our stylists – especially those in the assistant program – to become more upper echelon. I think we've trained half of the stylists in Sacramento at one time or another.

When you talk about education, what does that mean for a stylist?

Ludlow: It's how you keep from burning out. Keep taking classes, whether it's from Bumble & Bumble or Vidal Sassoon or someone else. It's easy to do the same haircut over and over.

What pops into your mind when you think about hairstyles in Sacramento and beyond?

Buckley: Certainly how we style hair has evolved. The industry, too. There's more creativity and imagination. Though we still get a lot of clients who bring in pictures of a style, especially on a celebrity, they might like to try. Ludlow: You can change the way someone looks in an hour or two. But I take it beyond that and work with a client so he or she has not only a great style but also healthy hair. That's why we've become very product-savvy and carry the Shu Uemura line, which is easy to use. The other important thing is learning and accepting the texture of your hair and what it will and won't do.

So how do you talk a client out of a style you don't believe will work? Ludlow: I know this: Women would rather get their hair done than go shopping. And they can change their minds every six weeks. But most don't want the fuss of a high-maintenance style. Classic styles will always be in. Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham) did the whole bob thing. But now she's reinvented the crop cut, which looks so much fresher.

Besides hair, what other services do you offer at Mosaic?

Buckley: Facials, massage, eyelash extensions, waxing, spray tans. You could spend the day in our salon!

Information: Mosaic Salon & Spa is at 2700 J St., Sacramento; (916) 558-2700 or www.mosaicsalon.com.

DEAR CAROLYN: I am a 17-year-old senior in high school. Up until a few days ago, my mom was my best friend.

Then I said some hurtful things to her in anger, including the fact I couldn't wait to get away from her (and go to college). I have apologized, but, understandably, my mom is still incredibly hurt. Our relationship is now strained and I don't think my mom and I will ever have the same friendship we did before.

She told me this wasn't the first time she has felt betrayed by hurtful things I've said (I can say very harsh things just to hurt people in fights), and therefore she is very skeptical of becoming friends with me again.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life in an awkward, emotionless relationship with my mom. Please help.

– Lost Daughter

DEAR LOST: Someday your mother may be your best friend, but she isn't now, nor was she before. Being the mother and friend of a minor child are mutually exclusive. Until you're an independent adult, it's a parent's job to set limits for you, make unpopular decisions on your behalf, and say, "You're not leaving the house dressed like that."

In other words, she's supposed to be the mature one who keeps you safe from your own immaturity. A parent can protect a child only so much, obviously, and as the child grows the protective scaffolding needs to come down incrementally. But still, a parent is a child's primary source of the long view.

If she really did declare she's too hurt to be your friend ever again (!), then your mother broke – shattered – this contract with you. It would mean she took personally (your hurtful outburst) what a parent has to take generically (your developmental phase). That suggests she has an adolescent's nearsightedness herself, taking your harshness as the be-all, just as you're taking this awkwardness as the end-all.

Kids shouldn't, but often do, say some horrible things. Good parents respond by attaching proportionate, meaningful consequences that also say, "I was here before this adolescent posturing, I'm here during it, and I'll be here after it passes." The long view.

Key to this exchange is a hierarchy. It requires a superior and a subordinate – the mature provider of bedrock love, and the subordinate that love supports.

Your Mom – again, by your account – is acting out her hurt feelings by threatening to withdraw. That's the reaction of an emotional peer, a you-hurt-me-so-I'm-through-trusting-you response.

That's not losing a friend, that's losing your bedrock. Assuming you ever had it.

Maybe she has squared her shoulders by now and set things right – and started a conversation about your penchant for spewing daggers.

Your school counselor's office would be a good place to bring this discussion regardless.

Harsh words are the wrong means, always – it's especially important to know this if drama and neediness are the norm from mom.

However, please know that differentiating yourself from parents is healthy. All parents teach children two things: how to be, and how not to be. Your fight with Mom says it's time to start sorting the two.

Sofia Jean Gomez portrays Scheherezade and Ryan Artzberger is King Shahryar in "The Arabian Nights." The production by Tony Award-winning writer-director Mary Zimmerman runs through Jan. 4 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

The stories flowing throughout Mary Zimmerman's exquisite "The Arabian Nights" exist for their own sake. Timeless yet timely, they show human beings at their worst and best.

Adapted from "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night," Tony Award- winning writer/director Zimmerman selects some of the less popular stories, staging them with her signature style of elegant physical storytelling. The winding narratives of desire, innocence, morality and philosophy ultimately coalesce into a poetic tapestry of theatrical imagination.

The dexterous ensemble of actors that Zimmerman has assembled at Berkeley Rep mesh as a sensual free- flowing collective combining the grace and choreography of dance with sly comic asides, sexy nuances and detailed dramatic performances.

While Zimmerman is the production's over-arching architect, her love of the story and visual storytelling maintains the focus. A Chinese box series of stories continually reveal themselves through the frame of clever young bride Scheherezade keeping herself alive from night to night.

Sofia Jean Gomez's bright resourceful Scheherezade has a compelling mix of earthiness and intellect. Her Scheherezade has been forced to marry King Shahryar, who does not trust women after finding his first wife in the intimate embrace of one of her slaves. Now Shahryar marries a virgin every night and kills her the next morning to make sure she doesn't betray him. Ryan Artzberger brings a brooding melancholy to the king aptly displaying his dissolute temper.

Scheherezade's famous strategy to survive Shahryar's madness is to begin a story at bedtime and tell it through the night. When morning comes they must sleep before the story has finished, and she takes it up again in the evening, finishing one then starting another. In this way she prolongs her life while gradually renewing the dissolute king's sensitivity and finally gaining his trust and love.

The stories unfold in fluid action as Scheherezade tells them. The episodes include "The Madman's Tale," with excellent Noshir Dalal and "Sympathy the Learned," with a stunning performance by Alana Arenas.

Figuring centrally in several stories is Barzin Akhavan's studied Harun al-Rashid, a prominent, highly regarded sheik. Akhavan is well-known regionally for his fine work at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and here shows an artless flexibility that facilely serves the production.

Other standouts in the uniformly excellent ensemble are Stacy Yen, Allen Gilmore, Louis Tucci, Nicole Shaloub and Pranidhi Varshney.

While there is a palpable joy in this production, it's also tempered with a subtle connection to Iran today and the numbing effects of a seemingly unending war. This production, however, ultimately celebrates imagination and the restoration of humanity.