Hot Topics: Best Cities for Older Workers

Dallas Tops Cities for Older Employees:

Whether by necessity or choice, more people are working past what used to be the typical retirement age. When it comes to cities that embrace experienced workers, Dallas tops the list, according to this story from U.S. News & World Report. Close to a quarter of the city's 65 and older residents are employed, based on a five-year average, according to the magazine. While Dallas' 2009 unemployment rate for seniors was higher than average (7.6 percent), the city made up for it with an 8.1 percent overall jobless rate.

Other cities or metro areas on the Top 10 list: Salt Lake City; Columbus, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.; Newark-Union, N.J.; Nashville; Bethesda-Frederick-Rockville, Md.; Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.; and Richmond, Va.

Calling All Coders:

Add a new possibility to the growing list of paid internships for boomers training for encore careers in the nonprofit world: Code for America. The year-old organization offers fellowships to software and web developers willing to put in a year working with online neighborhood watch programs and other city government projects. Microsoft pledged $50,000 to support Code for America, which recently tapped its first round of 25 fellows to work in Philadelphia, Seattle and three other cities. Applications for 2012 internships open next fall. Don't be put off by the youthful faces on the group's website -- boomer techie and software industry legend Tim O'Reilly helped launch the organization, and fellowships are age-blind. "We're open to and eager to attract applicants of all ages," says Abhi Nemani, a Code for America spokesperson.

See Carl Run:

Carl Lewis is running again, only this time it's not on a track. The nine-time Olympic gold medalist announced this week he's entered the race for a New Jersey state Senate seat. "It's something I've never done before," Lewis says. "It isn't like I'm jumping into waters that I'm used to." Lewis, 49, lived much of his life in California, but was born in New Jersey, bought a house there six years ago and registered to vote on April 11, the same day he announced his candidacy for the state's eighth legislative district.

Natural Wonders, No Charge:

Saturday marks the start of National Parks Week, when admission to all 394 of the country's national parks is free. That includes popular destinations such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Everglades and Denali (Mt. McKinley). A number of parks are hosting special events or service projects to mark the occasion, including tours of National Parks Service and Sierra Club founder John Muir's Martinez, Calif., home and picking up trash at Stones River National Battlefield, a Tennessee Civil War site. 

Goodbye All My Children, Hello The Chew:

TV soaps are going the way of the push-button phone and electric typewriter. This week, ABC surprised soap fans by cancelling two long-standing daytime serials: All My Children will end a 30-year run in September, and One Life to Live in 2012. The network is replacing both with lifestyle shows, including a food-related spinoff of The View called The Chew, and The Revolution, a weight loss and makeover show from the producers of The Biggest Loser. Susan Lucci, who's played AMC conniver Erica Kane since the show's inception, is already contemplating her next act. "It's been a fantastic journey," Lucci says. "I'm looking forward to all kinds of new and exciting opportunities."

Unlucky Dance Star:

First she fell on her partner. Then she lost a shoe. What will Kirstie Alley do for an encore on the next Dancing with the Stars? Despite her foibles, the wisecracking actress is still in the running, unlike two other boomer dancers. Audience members already have voted off radio talk show host Wendy Williams (46) and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard (54).

Last Word:

"Perhaps some day employers will be giving 65-year-olds a gold watch when they join the company." -- A Special Report on Pensions, The Economist