Senior Spotlight By John Toscano
Search Is On For Outstanding Older Workers In U.S.

In an effort to raise awareness throughout the United States of the contributions made by older workers and to encourage hiring them, the nation's largest training and employment organization for mature workers is conducting a search for the nation's outstanding older workers.

In October, these top-ranked older workers from every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will be honored in the nation's capital and in their home states for their contributions to the work force and their local communities.

According to Experience Works, the nation's largest employment organization for mature workers, nominees or applicants must be at least 65, a resident of New York, currently employed and earning a salary and working at least 20 hours a week.

The honoree must be willing and able to travel to Washington, D.C. for the Prime Time Awards events, meet with congressional representatives, tour the District's landmarks and participate in the awards banquet and ceremony.

Honorees will have a chance to meet with other winners, share their stories and celebrate their accomplishments. Families, friends or colleagues can send in a nomination, or older workers can nominate themselves.

An online nomination form can be accessed at www.experienceworks.org. The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2007.

Experience Works, based in Arlington, Virginia is a national non-profit organization which was established in 1965. It reaches more than 125,000 mature individuals in all 50 states and Puerto Rico each year.

This year's Prime Time Awards search is being sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, also an employer of older workers. Another search to find the oldest American worker of 2007 is also underway. Last year, Waldo McBurney, a beekeeper and author from Quinter, Kansas was named America's Oldest Worker.

Home Instead Senior Care is the world's largest provider of comprehensive companionship and home care services for seniors. It can be reached at www.homeinstead. com.

SCHUMER: SPOTLIGHT VA CENTERS: Following disclosures of poor conditions and mismanagement at the nation's top Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D- New York) last Sunday called upon Defense Secretary Robert Gates to appoint an independent bipartisan commission to review the operations of all post-combat military service medical facilities in the U.S.

The review presumably would include the veterans' hospitals in Lower Manhattan and Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.

Speaking of the recent revelations at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the nation's capital, Schumer declared: "To think that men and women are serving their country in the most honorable and dangerous way possible and all we give them is a dilapidated, rat-infested, run-down building to recover in is a disgrace."

In his letter to Gates, Schumer recommended that the commission he is seeking should be headed by Colin Powell, the former Chief of Staff of the nation's military forces and Secretary of State.

Since the Walter Reed Hospital disclosures were made, President George W. Bush ordered a bipartisan review of the nation's military and veterans' hospitals.

On Monday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform conducted a hearing at the Walter Reed facility. Yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing at the hospital.