By Maria Elena Alvaraez Luk

It’s that time of year that we bring our readers and clients together at our annual 50+ Celebration. This will be our 15th annual event, and to honor that milestone we are featuring celebrity guest Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. But the excitement doesn’t stop there. Continuing our tradition, we will have more than 70 exhibitors and health screenings. We are proud to welcome the medical professionals from the UNM Center for Life, including center director Dr. Arti Prasad, who will be on hand to share their expertise in holistic medicines.

For all of you golfers out there, we’re featuring a putting contest that will qualify three individuals for an all expense paid seven-day vacation in Hawaii. Proceeds from this contest will go to the YDI Foundation, which has been developing lives in New Mexico since 1971 from cradle-to-grave.

Pot Trends

With all the recent talk about medical marijuana, Prime Time decided to dig a little deeper and see what was happening on the recreational side of its use. The results of our interviews with several individuals ranging in age from 50 to 70 were strikingly similar. All whom we spoke to want to see it legalized and taxed, most find it much more satisfying than alcohol, and all were extremely cautious about whom they shared this activity with. Who would have thought that recreational use is actually going up for older Americans while declining among teenagers?

We also caught up with former Gov. Gary Johnson, who is travelling the country as part of his Our America Initiative advocating for logical solutions to some of the country’s biggest concerns with taxes, immigration and civil liberties. It is his call for abolishing the war on drugs that made him an interest to us for this story. We did find his views to be pragmatic, but perhaps not yet as mainstream as some who are unofficially backing him for a 2012 presidential run might think.

Dollars for Life
Given the current status of the economy, it is more important than ever to support the University of New Mexico Hospital foundations, which are committed to providing health services to the poor and uninsured. Hazel Tull-Leach, the director of development at UNM Hospitals, writes about it on page 6. So please give and help save a life.

Finally, we hope you come visit with the Prime Time crew and its writers at the Embassy Suites on March 13 from 8:30 AM to 3 PM. Remember, it’s free and there is plenty of parking.

Your Friend,

Maria Elena Alvarez Luk