Marion Tribune

Opinion The Marion Tribune June 13, 2024 4A Reproduction of all matter herein is prohibited without the expressed written consent of the publisher. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ALL letters must be signed and a street address and telephone number provided. The address and telephone number will not be published, but used to verify the authorship of the letter. Email Letters to: llimadasilva@mariontribune.com ADVERTISING POLICIES In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods at less than the proper price, The Marion Tribune will furnish a letter to the advertiser stating the correct price to be posted in the place of business. Or, the newspaper will (when contacted within 48 hours of the error) publish the material correctly in a space equal to the space in which the error occurred plus additional space for the store signature. The Marion Tribune accepts no liability for failure to publish advertising. The newspaper accepts no liability for any error appearing in any advertisement that has been proofread by the advertiser unless such errors occur after the corrections have been made. All advertising copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. SUBSCRIPTIONS, SERVICE, BILLING To start/stop delivery; miss your paper or discuss your bill call customer serviceMonday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (931) 455-4545. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Combination: The Marion Tribune one year $35.00. PUBLISHER CIRCULATION MANAGER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER Keith Ponder Amanda Mitchell Joe Martin Lacie Silva Allison Richards Vol. 1 - No. 1 1 Section - 12 Pages www.mariontribune.com CONTACT US (423) 590-6397 100 Betsy Pack Dr. Suite 204 Jasper, 37347 MarionTribune , Copyright © 2023 by The Tullahoma News is published Weekly by The Tullahoma News, 505 Lake Way Place,Tullahoma,TN 37388. Periodicals postage is pending at Jasper,TN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tullahoma News, Circulation Customer Service Department at 505 LakeWay Place,Tullahoma,TN 37388. The Marion Tribune lli adasilva ariontribune.com Vol. 1 – No. 46 1 Section – 10 ages I have often written, as have many others, about how angry Americans are about in fl ation. Economists say we are better o ff than other countries, but that doesn’t solve our problems. Some people blame the president, other folks blame corporate greed, and still others say we have never recovered from p a n d em i c - r e l a t e d supply chain issues. For sure, there’s plenty of blame to go around. We have seen some encouraging signs in recent weeks. Surveys show that wages have risen, and that’s good. It’s one way to chip away at higher prices. Also, retail chains including Walmart, Walgreen’s, Target, and McDonald’s have announced that some prices are being marked down, they say, “to give consumers some relief.” In some cases, these moves were made shortly after news reports revealed record pro fi ts. This information surprised absolutely no one. Before you get too excited, let me assure you that the days of a 12-pack of Cokes for $2.99 are long gone. Little Debbies aren’t dropping back to 99 cents a box either. As Red Lobster, the former home of “endless shrimp for $20” might say, that ship has sailed. So as we grudgingly adjust to eye-popping sticker prices on everything from fresh eggs to used cars, allow me to shine a light on one seemingly in fl ation-proof favorite: the beloved banana. Through good times and bad, the price of bananas has remained remarkably stable. I vividly remember bananas selling for around 19 cents a pound at our family store for twenty years. This dates back to the 1960s, when a gallon of regular gas was 29 cents. Since then, banana prices have tripled, which is not bad over a half-century of in fl ation. Compare that to gas, which has recently bounced around from 2 to 5 dollars a gallon, and even higher in some cases. Using today’s relatively stable average of about $3.50, gas is at least 1200 percent higher than 50 years ago. If bananas followed that same path, they would be around $2.40 a pound today. Instead, they are usually available for around 60 cents a pound, which is up only 3 cents from a decade ago. Why are bananas so cheap, even now? Labor and shipping costs are very low, and banana- growing countries produce healthy crops year after year. Also, bananas spoil pretty quickly, so growers and retailers keep the price low in order to keep them moving. Keep that in mind when you use a banana with just about anything else. It’s the one thing you can count on. The peanut butter and bread that help make up a sandwich? Prices have shot up on both. The ice cream, whipped topping and syrup on that banana split? They have all increased (except of course the size of their packaging, which is another rip-o ff entirely). My favorite grocery expert is Jesse Lewis, who was a longtime executive, most recently with Food City. Now a consultant, he sings the praises of bananas quite often. His favorite tune just might be “The Banana Boat Song” by Harry Belafonte. You know, “Day-O, Day-O,” about a beautiful ripe bunch of bananas. It’s a great tune to have stuck in your head. You’re welcome. Anyway, Jesse told me about the journey bananas make. From the plantations of Costa Rica, to packaging, to the truck, to the boat. They must be kept cool the entire time, to keep them from ripening too early. The boat ride to Miami is 1,120 miles, a 48 hour trip. Upon arrival, they are rushed to various retailers throughout the USA. And soon, picky shoppers choose the ones they want, at an incredibly low price. Jesse concludes, “What people don’t know would amaze them. I wish they could see the work and coordination that results in bananas being so a ff ordable and readily available, all the way from Central America to your local store. And then you can buy them for about 20 cents each. Bananas are truly a blessing, and most people have no idea.” So the next time you’re complaining about the $1.29 candy bar that used to be twice as big and a whole lot cheaper, grab a bargain banana. It’s better for you, and it just might make you smile. David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his new book “I Won’t Be Your Escape Goat” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV. com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@ yahoo.com Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some medical escort services that help seniors get home after amedical procedure? I need to have a colonoscopy, but my doctor’s clinic won’t schedule my appointment unless I supply them with a name and phone number of the person taking me home afterward. I live alone with no family nearby, and my friend doesn’t drive anymore. Any suggestions? Need a Lift Dear Need, Good question! Finding “door- through-door” medical escort services for outpatient screenings and procedures that involve anesthesia can be challenging for older patients without nearby family or friends to rely on. Door-through-door escorts that most clinics require is a safety measure. With a colonoscopy, for example, patients often receive an anesthetic, like propofol, or a narcotic such as Demerol or fentanyl, combined with anti-anxiety medication like Versed or Valium. These drugs a ff ect the brain, and they can stay in the system for four to six hours. So, what’s needed is someone to escort you out of the building, take you back home and see you into it. While there’s no one simple solution to this medical escort problem, there are wide variety of local service providers, nonpro fi ts and home-care companies that may be able to assist you. But what’s available to you will depend on where you live. Finding Help A good fi rst step in making medical escort arrangements is to talk to your health care provider that’s doing the procedure to fi nd out if their clinic o ff ers transportation services or if they can refer you to a local medical escort service or person who can help you. If not, see if you can remain in the clinic for an extended period of time, until the drugs wear o ff , so you can safely drive yourself home or hail an Uber, Lyft or taxi to take you. If these options aren’t available, here are some sources you should check into. Area Agency on Aging (AAA): Your local AAA is one of your best resources for locating transportation services and should be able to refer you to medical escorts available in your community. To fi nd your AAA call the Eldercare Locater 800-677-1116 or visit Eldercare.acl.gov . Local nonpro fi t groups: The National Volunteer Caregiving Network ( NVCNetwork.org ) connects about 700 community organizations nationwide, most of which provide door-through-door transportation without charge. Shepherd’s Centers of America: There are 55 a ffi liates in 17 states that provide support services for older adults – see ShepherdCenters. org . Most o ff er escorts to and from medical appointments without charge. Village to Village Network: There are around 250 local village networks across the country (see VTVNetwork.org ) that often help with medical escorts, though there’s an annual fee – usually subsidized for lower-income seniors – to join a village. Home-care companies: You may also be able to hire a medical escort through a home-care agency, or you can fi nd someone on your own through websites like Care.com or CareLinx. com . Note that Medicare doesn’t cover medical escorts, but in many states Medicaid does. If you choose this option, be sure you give plenty of notice before your appointment. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. LACIE SILVA Editor T he popular combination of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate is widely recognized today as s’mores. However, these same ingredients are also used in MoonPies, which were invented by Earl Mitchell in 1917. This cre- ation was inspired by a Chattanooga Bakery customer’s request for “a snack as big as the moon” that could fi t into a lunch pail. Priced at just 5¢ each, MoonPies quickly gained popularity in Tennessee and beyond, and they remain a beloved Southern staple to this day. By David Carroll Let’s Go Bananas Quizzical Quarters How to Find a Medical Escort After a Procedure