xt700000309b https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt700000309b/data/mets.xml University of Kentucky. Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Kentucky University of Kentucky. Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies 1996 volumes. Call Number: LD2762.9 .K38c. Accession Number: 2018ua049 journals LD2762.9 .K38c English Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection University of Kentucky Odyssey Magazine Research -- Kentucky -- Periodicals Education -- Research -- Periodicals Research -- Kentucky Odyssey: The Magazine of University of Kentucky Research, Winter/Spring 1996 text images Odyssey: The Magazine of University of Kentucky Research, Winter/Spring 1996 1996 1996 2026 true xt700000309b section xt700000309b STEP
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ODYSSEY

[51/ i to r

Susan Hodgetts Stempel

Assoria/r' likiitm'
jeff Worley

Designer
Shear 81 Shear

l’rt/(lmrizm fl/lzzudgrr
Lisa D. Lizer

President
I ’YIIIVZ'FI‘SI'IV)’ (g/‘Kmtnclj'

Charles Wethington. Jr.

Vice l’rcsidmtfbr Research and Gnu/mite Stu/lies
Fitzgerald Bramwell

UK

University of Kentucky

 

   
 

WINTER/SPRING1996
Volume XIII,N0. 2

Odyssey is published twice a year by the University of
Kentucky, Research and Graduate Studies Office ofCom»
munications & Advancement. Kinkead Hall, Lexington,
KY 40506—0057}. Copyright 1995 by the University of
Kentucky. All rights reserved. Odyssey is distributed free
ofcharge to graduate alumni and friends ofthe University
of Kentucky. Voluntary subscription donations to sup-
port the magazine may be sent to the above address. Each
issue of Odyssey describes only a few of the many Univer»
sity of Kentucky research projects under way in a variety
of areas. Requests for permission to reprint material are
welcome and should be sent to the Editor, Communica—
tions 85 Advancement, University of Kentucky. Lexing-
ton 40506—005? (phone 606/257-8297: fax: 606457»
8298'. or e-mail .l The publica—

tion of Odyssey is not financed by the state general fund.

ODYSSEY

e admit it: This is an exciting issue for us at Odyssey Magazine

for several reasons. First of all, we’ve gotten a facelift that has

resulted in a friendlier layout and organization.\X/e hope that
these surgical changes will make reading Odyssey more enjoyable for you.

Part of our excitement is admittedly personal. When we undertook the
major job of redesigning the magazine back in April. we didn‘t know that
our designer, Teresa Shear. would be having a baby just about the time we
needed her most. And at that time'l‘eresadidn‘t knoweither. \X’e also didn‘t
know that Lisa Lizer, our production manager. would be well under way
with her second child. who is expected on Christmas Day. last spring, Lisa
was also unaware of the upcoming event. So it has turned out to be an
interesting and, most literally. productive summer and fall. with Lilly Elaine
Shear now settled on her family's farm, along with her sisters Grace and
Hannah, and we are anticipating the arrival of Lisa's second child shortly.
Certainly the future that several UK researchers talk about in this issue will
impact this new generation, as well as many of our readers children and
grandchildren.

As to the new format for Odyssey, the change most relevant to you as a
reader is the addition ofa Letters column. This section will open up the
opportunity for us to hear what you like about the magazine. what you don't
like. and any thoughts you might have related to the articles in Odyssey.

Another reason we are excited about this issue is that unlike our usual line—
up of articles which typically features a variety of unrelated research projects
from around the campus, this issue is organized on the theme of the
upcoming millennium and how our research efforts may manifest them—
selves by the year 2050. It has been a challenge to address the subject. as well
as a fascinating imaginative journey into the future.

I have never been a particularly future—oriented person. In fact, Alvin
Tofiler’s phrase in Future Shoe/e, something to the efiect of “being dragged
kicking and screaming into the future,“ could certainly have been applied to
me as a young woman in the early ‘70s But now that the twentieth century
is coming to a close, I find myself happily ensconced and looking toward the
year 2000 with curiosity and some eagerness. Tackling the subject of the
future in this issue of Odyssey has only enhanced that feeling for me.

It is hard not to be excited about the possibilities for the future when you
hear some of our researchers talk about what they‘re doinO. for example. in

 

 

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gene therapy research and where that research may lead. In the article titled “Where Is
University Research Leading Us?," we hear of the promise for great advances in the
treatment of cancer and about the gene therapy work under way at UK; and in this same
article we see the tremendous promise of John Thompson’s research. Thompson has
developed a new drug at UK that may become the definitive drug for increasing patient
survival for organ transplant operations in the future.

In the article on cyberspace you will read about some incredible applications of
computer technology that are happening today. With UK’s good fortune to have top-
notch computer facilities, our researchers are using some technology that, to most of us,
is mind—boggling. One researcher, for example, while sitting at his computer workstation
on the 5th floor ofthe Center for Robotics and Manufacturing, is developing computer
turbulence simulations for high—speed jet planes. UK researchers in physics and
astronomy are using the computer to create large—scale models of the universe to try
answer the ancient and ultimate questions about how the universe was constructed. Still
other UK researchers are exploring ways to push our computing abilities even further——
to see the limits of how much information the computer can simultaneously read and
interpret. The results of this work will enrich and simplify our lives.

In this issue you’ll also read what it might be like to grow old in the let century. Will
we become old in a world like that depicted in the movie “Blade Runner,” where foul air
and gloom permeate the streets? Will we live in a world populated by cyborgs and
humans—each unrecognizable from the other? Or is Toiiler’s 1970 concept of utopian
colonies, based on the technology and society of tomorrow, a more accurate picture of
how our culture might evolve?

The research under way in our universities today may well be one of the best indicators
of what the future holds. As social psychologist \Varren Bennis said of the future, “No
exaggeration. no hyperbole. no outrage can realistically describe the extent and pace of
change . . . In fact, only the exaggerations appear to be true.“

Indeed, future change is hurtling toward us. And while French poet and philosopher
Paul V alery‘s statement that “The future is not what it used to be” is ironically right on
target, through some of the research under way today, the future may turn out to be a very
user—friendly place to be. I line up behind the hope suggested by H. Rosovsky in The
University ———"Research is an expression of faith in the possibility of progress.”

Read, enjoy, and let us hear from you.

6&4 flak-nu

   

it"ffi'TERS SPRING

{Q‘J'é

 

3

  

 

ODYSSEY

 

 

 

 

More on Viet Nam

l was delighted to read the article
entitled “What Were We Doing in Viet—
nam?” in the Summer/Fall 1995 issue of
Odyssey. 1 have long been a student of
the Vietnam War, and like those fea—
tured in the article, I, too, was attracted
to UK because of the reputation of
Professor George Herring.

Robert Topmiller’s view of the siege
of Khe Sanh particularly got my atten—
tion. Topmiller refers to this unpleas—
antness as “the 1967—69 Siege,” but he
later dates its duration as 77 days and
beginning on ljanuary, 1968. Mightn’t
he better call it “the 1968 Siege” in—
stead? In any case, the siege began with
a relatively minor artillery attack com—
mencing between 0500 and 0530 hours
on 2I]anuary, and not on 1 January.

Topmiller says that during this initial
engagement the Khe Sanh Combat Base
“was hit hard by rocket attacks.” The
attack consisted of approximately 100
82mm mortar shells and 60 122mm
rockets. By Khe Sanh standards, this
attack was more akin to a light summer
drizzle than the fierce thunderstorms of
enemy fire that later rained down upon
the base.

Topmiller is exactly right when he
describes the serious consequences of
this initial attack. The subsequent cook—
ing off of munitions in the Marines’
main ammunition dump, including CS
antipersonnel gas and 04 plastic explo—
sives, continued well into the daylight
hours.

Topmiller seems to claim that 2,000
Americans died in this initial fighting
(“We lost 2,000 of our 6,000 men in

4 ODYSSEY

      

w.»- ,
e,—

v (basimu

 

that battle”). His figure approximates
the total official Marine Corps casualty
figures (killed, wounded not requiring
evacuation, wounded requiring evacu—
ation, missing in action) for the entire
77—day siege. 1 see the events surround—
ing Khe Sanh as a series ofbattles that,
taken together, constitute the siege.
On this point perhaps it is the case that
I am confused by Topmiller’s inter—
changeable use of the words “battle”
and “siege.”

Topmiller believes that it would have
been tactically sound for the PAVN
forces surrounding Khe Sanh to con—
tinue the assault begun that day and
seize the base. However, no ground
assaults of any significance were
launched against the combat base on
the first day of the siege. North Viet—
namese Minister of Defense V0 Nguyen
Giap claims that taking the Khe Sanh
Combat Base was never his intention
anyway. According to Giap. it was all
only a ruse.

Perhaps Topmiller will agree with
me that ifGiap’s claim is credible, Khe
Sanh was a diversion of the highest
magnitude. Giap fooled me, too.

Today there isn’t much at Khe Sanh
to remind anyone ofthe fighting there,
only an unimpressive monument pro—
claiming the liberation ofthe Khe Sanh
by the Vietnamese Communists from
the Americans and the Saigon puppet
troops. According to the text on the
monument, Khe Sanh was another
Dien Bien Phu. I doubt if Topmiller

would agree with that version ofevents.

Peter Brush

graduate student

UK School ofLihrary
and Information Sciences

Response from Robert Topmiller:

Mr. Brush is correct when he points out
that the ofiicial heginning of the siege of
Khe Sanh was fanuary 21, 1968. 1 re—
memher that date very well hecause [ was
wounded later that day during a mortar
attac/e. One could argue, however, that
Khe Sanh was part of a larger struggle
hetween the North Vietnamese Army and
the US. Marine Corps for control ofthe
northwest corner of South Vietnam that
started with the hill fights of May 1967.
Certainly significant comhat too/e place
around Khe Sanh in the wee/es hefore the
siege hegan. / also want to apologize for my
use ofimprecise language in descrihing the
casualty figures. I never meant to imply
that 2,000 men died at Khe Sanh. By
“lost, " I meant lei/led, wounded and miss-
ing.
While Mr. Brush considers the opening
attac/e at Khe Sanh as little more than a
“light summer drizzle " compared to the
later massive shelling, 1 would respond that
IwasatKhe Sanhfrom the heginning to the
end of the siege and nothing ever had the
impact on me as the shoc/e of that first day.
For many of us, that was our first exposure
to comhat and the horrihly disfiguring na—
ture of wounds caused by roc/eets, artillery
and mortars. In addition, due to the
explosion of the dump, we had to treat a
numher of men wounded hy white phos—
phorus.

 

 

  

~TTER$

. ODYSSEY

  
 

 

 

Pain and Pleasure Kudos

Every time I glance at the cover of the Over the years my interest in the
Summer/Fall I995 issue of Odyssey, I ongoing research projects at the Uni—
wince with vicarious pain, but every time versity of Kentucky has remained
I read one of the research projects re— constant; however, not until the ad-
ported on the inside, I am fascinated and vent of Odyssey has it been possible
grow prouder and better informed in to stayabreastofsuch programs when
regard to our University and the research one is not in close contact with the
going on there. campus. I look forward to each issue

I was a protester ofthe Vietnam War in of Odyssey and am convinced that it
the ‘60s and, therefore, had a special is one of the finest magazines ofits

 

interest in the article bySharon Reynolds, type in the nation. Congratulations

“What Were We Doing in Vietnam?“ It and may Odyssey remain a bright star a
is an eye—opening story of George in the University’s communication Odyssey Magazine welcomes letters from our read—
Herring‘s work, Americas Longest War, constellation. ers, Our address is: Odyssey Magazine, Kinkead Hall,
and his becoming mentor and guide for UniversityofKentucky, Lexington,KY40506—0057.
such remarkable graduate students as Fran/e G. Bit/“’3’ Fax 606-257-8298. E—mail: odyssey@pop.uky.edu.
Robert Brigham. Mitchell I—Iall, Clarence lexington, Kentucky Contributors should include their name, address,
Wyatt, Delia Pergande, and Robert . and daytime phone number. Letters are subject to
Topmiller. Thus UK has become a mag— Editor’s “0‘6: D74 Die/eey “”15 the editing for style and space limitations.

net drawing those with continuing ques— fifinpresz'dentoft/ae University Ome‘ » 7777777777777 , ,

tions and controversies to be resolved. [Wk]- Appointedin I956att/aeoge of

Other articles in this issue are also 38’ b5 55711561, WW] 1963-
interesting, important, and hopeful for
the future.

Thank you for the “Honorable Men— The Value OfRé’SeflTC/7
tion” feature. I treasure the opportunity 1 really enjoy each issue odeyssey.
to learn of UK graduate program alumni. You cover a wide variety of research
This issue introduces us to 12 men and that iS done at the University.
nine women achievers, not a bad balance i want to encourage you to keep
of the sexes, although I’m sure that was the Honorable Mention section. It
not your intention. is interesting to learn what graduate

I wish to express my appreciation for students do after they complete their
the publication of Odyssey. Kentucky degrees. Thls also lifts up the value
needs it! Please continue to let us know of the research that is done at UK.

what wonderful things are happening You are producingawell-written,
here and now in our state. attractive magazine. Thanks.
Lorraine Lollis Ruth A. Kitchen
Lexington, Kentue/ey Lexzngton, Kentucky

 

 

WI;\"7‘ER/$PRI;‘VG 1996 5

 

 

  

 

ODYSSEY

GROWING OLD
IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

How will the olal in the US—ana' onrfllsrest—growz'n population
segment, t/oe ola’est—olel—fizre as we move into t/oe 2 st century?

“How to live to be I 00? Get to be 99. Then
he very carefitl. ”

—asrril7ell to George Burns

f we take him at his word, George
IBurns these days is being very, very

careful. Even though he recently can—
celled, for health reasons, his long—booked
100th birthday show at Caesar’s Palace in
Las Vegas this cominglanuary, Burns now
has only a few weeks to go before hitting the
magic century-mark.

Burns’s longevity is obviously very un—
usual for his age cohort. The likelihood of
anyone born in the last century living to be
100 years old is approximately the same as
your probability of being blindfolded 20
feet away from a dartboard and throwing a
bull’s—eye. In 1900, average life expectancy
from birth in the US. was only 47 years, in
part because one in 10 babies did not live to
their first birthday. And if you did manage
to dodge a number of potentially fatal
childhood diseases, your life expectancy
rose only about four years.

The chances of living to a serviceable old
age in our country are better now than at
any previous time in history. American
children born in 1990 have an average life
expectancy of 75.4 years (women are ex—

W R I T T E N B Y
J E F F W O R L E Y
PHOTOS BY LEE THOMAS

pected to live 5.8 years longer than men).
According to a recent demographic forecast
in American Demographics, when these chil—
dren turned one year older in 1991, their
life expectancy was 76.2 years, because they
had escaped the dangers of early infancy. And
in contrast to survival rates of infants in the
early part of the century, in the 1990s fewer
than one infant in 100 dies before age one.

WE EXPECT To LIVE?
Researchers on aging, as well as all of us who
want to live long, healthy lives, have taken
an increasing interest in the limits of the
human life span. Demographers are par—
ticularly interested in what will become of
the baby boomer generation, those born
between 1946 and 1960. Edward Schneider,
who heads the Andrus Gerontology Center
at the University of California, says that “If
we do things right over the next few de—
cades, at least half the baby boomers might
expect to live into their late 80s and 905.”

“The baby boom population will hit 65
around the year 2010, and that will be a

massive group,“ says Graham Rowles, a
gerontologist and associate director of the
University of Kentucky‘s Sanders—Brown
Center on Aging. uIt‘s anybody’s guess
whether our social structures will be ready
for this group—Social Security and our
health—care system, for example. And this
cohort will continue to be the largest age
group until their children——the sons and
daughters of the boomers—surge ahead in
numbers around the year 2030.”

Will the social structures in this country
be ready to deal with the needs of such a
large number of people? What effect will
scientific and medical advances have on the
human life span by that time? And more
importantly, will living longer be worth-
while for our oldest citizens as their legions
move into the new millennium?

“Knowing how long we are capable of
living—our life span‘and how long we
are likely to live—our life expectancy—are
important in a number of ways,” says
Rowles. “This information will, for ex—
ample, influence strategies for combatting
the diseases ofold age, and will also allow us
to estimate the future strain on social and
medical programs that will be expected to
take care of the growing numbers of old

people in the U.S.

 

6 ODYSSEY

 

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ODYSSEY

You a’ou’t stop laughing becauseyou grow ola’.
You grow olal because you stop laughing.

—Mirhael Pritr/sartl

“Most gerontologists," Rowles contin-
ues, “would argue that there is a finite life
span. And that the maximum any ofus can
expect, if our medical science does every—
thing that it should and could, is that a very
few of us will live about 120 years.” A
number of studies in the past 40 years
corroborate Rowles’s belief that no matter
what we do to stay physically and mentally
healthy, the best bodies of the species will
fall apart at this hoary age like 20—year-old
Yugos.

The limits of life expectancy, on the
other hand, are not so seemingly fixed. In

a recent study, demographer 5. Jay
Olshansky and gerontologist Christine
Cassel of the University of Chicago asked
themselves by how much mortality rates
would have to be reduced in order to push
average life expectancy in the years ahead to
the reachable 120—year human limit. \What
they found out, after doing some sophisti—
cated number—crunching, is that even if
science could eliminate heart disease and
cancer—which now account for nearly 50
percent of all deaths in the U.S.—it’s un—
likely that the average life expectancy at
birth would increase much beyond 85. One

oftheir findings that may surprise us is that
if through various miracles of medicine and
luck of avoiding accidents no one ever
again died before reaching age 50 (thus
eliminating more than 12 percent of all
deaths), the increase in life expectancy would
be only 3 1/2 years.

In taking a longsighted look into the next
century, John Thompson, an immunolo—
gist in UK‘s College of Medicine, believes
that although a number ofdiseases that are
common now will be under control or
eradicated by the mid let century, life

L' 0 H I I I] If f (I, (I H [[1 17 g 6’ (‘3‘

WINTER/SPRING [996 7

 

  

 

 

ODYSSEY

DALLAS HIGH:“ITH|NKWE’REGOING
To SEE MORE AND MORE ELDERLY
PEOPLE ADOPT A SECOND CAREER
THAT BEGINS AT WHAT WOULD Now
BECONSIDEREDNORMALRETIREMENT
AGE.”

 

 

“Unless there are same sign zfieatz t 1001to Changes

in this country in the ”Ed?“ future, there may he

a length ofh'fe that is worse than death. ”

“,1 )1 Isl/.115 Hi3 h

expectancy will increase “only about 15
years or so.” And Thompson agrees with
Rowles that the human life span seems to be
stuck at about “115, 120 years.” Our life
span, he says, “has not gained a minute of
time in the past 10,000 years.”
Thompson cites a landmark study pub—
lished over 35 years ago by anatomy profes—
sor Leonard Hayflick, who proved that
normal human embryonic cells have a de—
finitive lifespan. Hayflick grew cells in
laboratory cultures under the most favor—
able conditions and found that after 50
doublings of the cells, they aged and died.
“We showed that the death of cultured
human cells was an inherent property ofthe

cells themselves,” said Hayflick in a recent
article titled “The Human Biology of Ag—
ing.” “It was as if normal cells possessed a
clock that determined how many times

they would divide and function.”

L E N GT H E N I N G
OUR HEALTHSPAN
1f the life span is relatively fixed but life
expectancy is lengthening, our focus should
be on making those additional years worth
living, according to UK’s Dallas High.
“There‘s nothing wrong with adding years
to life as long as we’re adding life to years as
well,” says High, a professor in the philoso—
phy department. “Quality—of—life issues
should clearly be in the forefront of policy

issues in the years to come. Unless we pay
more attention to issues of enriching the
quality of life, which some gerontologists
call our healthspan, I think we’ll see more
and more elderly people finding that these
final years simply aren‘t worth living.”

Rowles points out that this approach is
particularly important given what he calls a
“very depressing statistic” regarding older
men. “Suicide rates for women tend to
follow a fairly smooth bell curve through—
out their lifetimes,” Rowles explains.
“They’re very low in childhood, they peak
around middle age, and then fall incremen-
tally as a woman gets older. For men, it’s
different. At about age 65, a man’s chances
oftaking his own life increase significantly:
and the suicide rates shoot up for men over
85.”

The right to die, choosing to do so, will
be much more common and acceptable in
the decades to come, High says. “Living
wills and physician—assisted suicide will
probably become commonplace.“ he says.
“which is consistent with the high rate of
suicide Graham mentions among older
men.” Though dismissing Kervorkian—
style physician—assisted suicide as “not such
a great model,” High points to a recent
voter referendum on physician—assisted sui—
cide in Oregon that passed. Though the
measure was challenged in court and ruled
to be unconstitutional. High believes more
such referendums will be passed by states
and accepted in the courts.

Rowles agrees but also foresees a “scary
part to this scenario.n

While the elderly will be making a wider
range ofehoice regarding how and when to
make their final exit, Rowles underscores
the tremendous responsibility ofour future
society to allow the elderly to make such
decisions in the best possible health—-physi—
cally and cognitively. “And here’s what
really worries me most about this,” he says.
“What ifin the year 2050 you’re very poor
and can’t afford, say, to have an operation

 

8 OD YSSEY

 

  

 

ODYSSEY

that might extend your life. Maybe physi-
cian—assisted suicide becomes the only choice
left. I worry about a society that on the basis
ofeconomics will be selecting people out.”

WORKING
TOWA RD
A NEW CULTURE FOR

THE OLD
Assuming that the vast majority of elderly
choose to live as long as they can, what will
our future hold for them? How and where
will they live.> How will they spend their
final—perhaps many—years after retire—
ment.>

“The simple—and complex—answer is
that we have to develop a whole new cul—
ture,” Rowles says. “And we’re in the
process ofdoing it right now. We’ve got to
develop a culture that is used to multi—,
multi—generational families. We’ve got to
think in terms ofa culture where we’ve got
old people caring for older people who are
caring for even older people.”

A common belief is that this is the way
families used to be set up, so some might
think that in developing such a multi—
generational family model, we would be
returning to past structures. “I call this idea
the Myth of the Golden Age,” says Laurie
Hatch, an associate professor of sociology
at UK whose research is focused in part on
trying to understand the broad historical
view of aging and the elderly in the US.
“The myth is that moderization forever
changed the status of the elders, that fami—
lies no longer cared for their older members
and abandoned them to their own resources,
or placed them in institutions. The truth is,
multi—generational households were the ex-
ception rather than the rule.” In a recent
forward—looking article titled “Family and
Community: Changing Roles in an Aging
Society,” which appeared in 7716 Gerontolo-
gist, researcher Marjorie Cantor states that
a multi—generational family is a structure
not of the past, but of the future. “By the
year 2020,” she says, “the typical family will

consist of at least four generations.”

“My best guess is that by the year 2050,
one major role for people 65 to, say, 85
years of age will be to take care of older
family members,” Rowles says, “and this
‘age role’ will be tied to the effects of sib—
lings who leave home. You can already see
today,” he adds, “that when the family is
dispersed, the person who takes care of
Mom is the one family member that didn’t
getaway.” He says that the role of caregiving
will take on new dimensions in the future as
the population ofthe old and the oldest old
(those 85 and over) continue to scatter
geographically. “There are already some
elder care programs in place that provide a
national network of caregiving informa-
tion. In the future, I envisage the develop—
ment of caregiving cooperatives that span
the nation. By being a member of such a
cooperative and agreeing to take care of
someone in the Lexington area, for ex—
ample, I might get support for my mother
in Utah,” Rowles explains.

In addition to new forms of caregiving
relationships, technology is likely to play an
increasingly important role in the lives of
older people during the next century. “Al—
ready, a variety ofassisted living options are
harnessing technological innovations in or-
der to enable the increasing numbers of
older people who live alone to maintain
their independent living status,” Rowles
says. “With advances in robotics, it is quite
conceivable that sophisticated robots and
benign monitoring systems will become
key elements in the lives ofthe frail elderly.”

Another trend he and other demogra—
phers have continued to witness is the older
generation separating themselves geographi-
cally in the U.S. In Alvin Toffler’s Future
Shoe/e, which is now anything but shocking
25 years later, John Lofland, then of the
University of Michigan, says, “There may
come a day when some cities find that their
politics revolve around the voting strength
of various age [categories], in the same way

 

that Chicago politics has long revolved
around ethnic and racial enclaves.”

“Arizona already has ‘elderly overlay zon-
ing,m Rowles says, “meaning that at least
one member of the familyhas to be 55 years
old or older to qualify to live in a designated
area.” Sun City, just outside ofPhoenix, is
one example where the effect of such a
community has been dramatically felt, as
Sun City residents kept voting down school
bonds for the Peoria school district in which
Sun City was located. The result was that
the school district “excluded” Sun Citians
from being taxed in matters regarding the
school district.

“In the next century there are certain to
be more and more naturally occurring re—
tirement communities, or NORCS, as
they’re called,” says Rowles. “And I’m not
talking about Florida or Arizona; I’m talk—
ing about Wisconsin and Minnesota and

 

 

million

400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

 

I900 I950 1995 2050
U. 5. Population

  

Source: [F.S. Bureau of Statistics

Kentucky.” The residents ofthese commu-
nities, he points out, will not only have
tremendous local political clout; the over
55s will constitute a huge voting bloc.
“There is now clearly more political activity
among the elderly rather than less,” High
adds. “And as the numbers of elderly grow,
they will determine even more the political
direction of the country.”

(untrnnt'z/ an [urge 10

 

WINTER/ SPRING 1996 9

 

 ODYSSEY

 

 

 

 

Stann Brunn, professor of geography at
UK, believes that retirement communities
of the future will also occur along lines of
“shared professional interest”—military re—
tirement communities, communities for
specific religious groups and so